When I recently received a bottle of John Hall’s Forty Creek Spike (Honey Spiced) Whisky, I wanted to showcase the ‘honey spiced’ flavour in a nice cocktail which could be embraced by a wide range of persons. For that purpose, I decided that a tall refreshing bar drink was the proper course of action. It turned out that I had already created such a bar drink about two years ago, the Spiced Mammy. A few tweaks to that recipe to adapt it for the honey flavour in this spiced whisky was all that was required.
My Spiced Mammy is very loosely based upon the well-known Mamie Taylor Cocktail which is a bar drink designed for blended scotch whisky. Tthe ginger-ale in the recipe certainly finds a good home next to our national whisky as well. Rather than using lime juice as we would in a Mamie Taylor, I am using lemon juice which pairs naturally with honey. The sharp lemon flavours are just the right foil for the heightened sweetness of the ‘honey spiced’ whisky created by John Hall. I also added touch of lime zest for colour (and as a compliment to the lemon flavour).
Please enjoy.
The Honey Spiked Mammy
2 oz Forty Creek Spike
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
dash or two of Sugar Syrup
1/2 cup cracked ice
Ginger Ale
Thin Strips of Lime
Remove thin strips of lime peel from a fresh lime
Fill a tall highball glass half full of chipped ice
Add the lemon juice and the Forty Creek Spike Whisky
Top with ginger ale
Add a few threads of lime peel and stir gently.
Remember, my aim is not to help you drink more…it is to help you drink better!
If you are interested in more of my original cocktail recipes, please click this link (Cocktails and Recipes) for more of my mixed drink recipes!
Ruby Manhattan
Forty Creek’s Whisky Maker John Hall, ages rye, barley and corn whiskies in their own special barrels, and then brings them together for an unspecified amount of time in re-used sherry barrels to marry the flavours of each whisky together. The result is his flagship whisky, Forty Creek Barrel Select. When making the Forty Creek Double Barrel Reserve, he decided to place the three whiskies into seasoned bourbon barrels. This double barreling allows the subtle qualities offered by the bourbon barrel to enhance the finishing of the whisky.
In 2009 the special release was spectacular, Forty Creek Portwood Reserve (2009).
The Rum Howler Blog 