Perhaps the leaves changing colors correlate to the brown color of our fall spirit choices. We feel the chill in the air, grab a sweater, light the fire and reach for the brown spirits, whether it’s bourbon, whiskey or rye.
“It’s tradition to consume brown liquor in cool weather, due to the color and weight,” says Guy Rehorst, founder of Great Lakes Distillery, a 10-year-old facility in Milwaukee. “Brown spirits are aged in oak, which adds weight to the body,” he says. There are fine variations across these spirits.
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While all bourbon is whiskey, not all whiskey is bourbon.
A distinctly American construct, bourbon must adhere to strict production and ingredient standards. It must be produced in the U.S. and contain at least 51 percent corn in the grain mash. It must be aged in new charred oak, imparting the warming flavors of vanilla and caramel, where whiskey ages in any oak. The alcohol level can’t surpass 160 proof, while whiskey can soar to 190. Finally, nothing can be added at bottling to enhance flavor or sweetness of the spirit, or alter the color. The other grains used to make bourbon, though not stipulated by law, might be malted barley and either rye or wheat in varying proportions.
While Great Lakes Distillery produced a limited-edition bourbon in past years, it has moved to a new blended whiskey called Kinnickinnic, a melange of three distinct whiskeys including bourbon, and a malt and a rye. It’s produced in small batches, just 1,000 bottles total, by the company’s master distiller, Doug MacKenzie. Each year, the blend changes, but it’s typically close to 80 percent straight bourbon.
Another winter warmer, the Pumpkin Seasonal Spirit, is available for a limited time and in a limited quantity. It might be called bourbon if not for the addition of pumpkin. “Legally, we can’t call it bourbon due to the tight (government) standards,” Rehorst says. Based on their neighbor Lakefront Brewery’s Pumpkin Lager, the beer is distilled in a pot still, then aged in a combination of new and used bourbon barrels. This aging mellows the spirit, which is then bottled at 90 proof.
Rehorst suggests using the pumpkin-flavored spirit in this variation on an old-fashioned. It’s one of his favorite fall cocktails.
Pumpkin old-fashioned
Makes: 1 cocktail
1 sugar cube
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 orange slice
2 ounces Great Lakes Pumpkin Seasonal Spirit
Seltzer, optional
In an old-fashioned glass muddle the sugar cube, bitters and orange slice. Add the spirit and ice. Stir well. Top with seltzer, if you like.