Everyone knows Houston can be hot mess in the summer — hey, it’s one of the most humid cities in America! — and when you head to a bar for a refreshing summer drink to cool down, you might not be thinking whiskey. But people who only drink whiskey to warm up in the cool months are missing out.
Rye whiskey is a flavorful, hearty drink, but it’s no one-trick pony; it brings out the flavor of whatever you mix it with. So, to celebrate the start of summer, we rounded up some of Houston’s best bartenders and asked them to create brand new cocktails to put some of that spring pep back in your step this summer.
Without further ado, this summer’s top new rye drinks:
Sugar Pig
By Leslie Ross from Treadsack
2 oz WhistlePig 10 Year Rye
1 oz Maple & Pecan Smoked Marmalade Cordial*
Shake. Strain over Ice. Throw it in a Collins glass.
Top with a SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale
* Here’s how you make that cordial:
8 oz jar of high quality, natural orange marmalade
4 oz vodka
Shake in a mason jar, strain through a single layer of cheesecloth…or don’t, if you like the peel!
Hogwash
By Lainey Collum at Prohibition Supper Club
2oz WhistlePig 10 Year Rye
.75 oz rhubarb shrub
.5 oz lemon
.5 oz aperol
8 drops of Bittermans Tiki Bitters
Shake all with ice, serve in rocks glass with lemon wheel garnish over ice.
Summer Thyme
By Andrew Maurer from Glazer’s Distributors
1.5 oz. WhistlePig 10 Year Rye
.5 oz. Suze
.5 oz. Lavender Honey
.5 oz. Lemon Juice
2-3 Thyme Sprigs
Shake all with ice, double strain over ice in highball glass. Garnish with thyme sprig and lemon twist.
So now you know how to stay cool and refreshed this summer while getting all the flavor you want from your cocktails…but if you don’t want to make these yourself, head to the best cocktail bars in town and chill out with Houston’s own brand new rye drinks.
Our thanks to Doug Ward, Steward of the Brand in Texas and Louisiana for his efforts compiling these cocktails.
