TINCUP® Whiskey, a Rocky Mountain take on bourbon, today announces its first-ever “When Whiskey Meets Bitters” campaign to promote the marriage of these two spirited imbibables. For the first featured bitters of the promotion, TINCUP Whiskey is partnering with The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters, which is produced exclusively for the award-winning cocktail saloon, The Dead Rabbit, in Lower Manhattan. To kick off the launch of the campaign, top bartender Lucinda Sterling of Manhattan’s Middle Branch created three original TINCUP Whiskey cocktails incorporating the two.
TINCUP Whiskey is made from a unique blend of Midwestern corn, rye and malt. Aged in new charred American white oak barrels, it is bottled at 84 proof in Colorado using pure Rocky Mountain water. This marriage of the heartland with the West mirrors the life of its creator, Jess Graber, a Midwest native who has lived in the Mile High state his entire adult life. On the nose, TINCUP Whiskey evokes notes of citrus, black pepper and ginger snaps. On the palate, it suggests rye spice, cinnamon and caramel. Its high rye content makes for a spicier spirit than ordinary bourbons.
“We’re currently living—and drinking—in the midst of a bitters renaissance,” says Brad Thomas Parsons, bitters expert and author of “Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All,” which won awards from the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). “The rise of artisanal bitters makers producing scores of unique flavor profiles only serves as an essential reminder of the elemental role bitters have played since the Golden Age of cocktails in creating well-balanced drinks. Many libations in the cocktail canon highlight the perfect pairing of brown spirits and bitters—from the Old-Fashioned to the Manhattan to the Sazerac—which can be celebrated by utilizing quality craft ingredients like TINCUP Whiskey and The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters.”
Produced in Scotland, The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters are the latest handcrafted bitters from Dr. Adam Elmegirab, whose contemporary line-up of bitters is firmly grounded in bitters’ rich history.
“The aromatics of The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters hit you on the nose with a burst of warm Christmas spice with the fragrant blend of cardamom, chamomile, orange peel, and raisins, rounded out with bittersweet molasses. They’re the perfect flavor enhancer for an American whiskey that TINCUP Whiskey founder Jess Graber describes as honey on a corn muffin with spicy pepper and raisins,” adds Parsons.
“As a fan of both TINCUP Whiskey and The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters, I was delighted to create cocktails that use both as ingredients,” says Sterling. “TINCUP Whiskey’s inherent spiciness is amplified and enhanced by the bitters’ fragrant, earthy and spicy notes. They really play well together in drinks.”
The recipes for the three cocktails are as follows:
Rocky Manhattan
2 oz TINCUP Whiskey
¾ oz Leopold Bros Georgia Peach Whiskey
2 dashes The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters
Orange twist
Combine TINCUP Whiskey, peach whiskey, and bitters on the rocks in a whiskey glass. Garnish with the twist.
Jewel Mine
2 oz TINCUP Whiskey
¾ oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
2 dashes The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters
Tonic water
Cucumber wheel
Combine TINCUP Whiskey, PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur, and bitters on the rocks in a whiskey glass. Top with tonic water and garnish with cucumber.
Green Derby
2 oz TINCUP Whiskey
¾ oz grapefruit juice
½ oz Grade A maple syrup
½ oz ginger syrup
2 dashes The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters
Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and serve up in a cocktail glass.
