Skurnik Spirits 101: The Magic of Modifiers

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass.

Stir with ice until cold.

Strain into a Nick & Nora and garnish with an orange peel.

Combine ingredients in a mixing tin.

Add ice and shake until cold.

Strain into a rocks glass over ice and garnish with a lemon wheel.

THE SPIRITS:

Sweet Vermouth inspired by the traditional recipes and ingredients of the Piedmont region
Primary botanicals include wormwood, rhubarb, gentian, vanilla bean, rosemary, thyme, oregano, laurel leaves, & ginger
Base wine is composed of Piedmontese white wines including Bombino, Trebbiano, Freisa, and a small percentage of Moscato, fortified with neutral wheat spirit
Botanicals are steeped individually in the neutral grain spirit for 30–45 days, blended with wine and beet sugar, and rested in stainless steel tanks for 45–60 days before filtering and bottling
Orange sherbet, fresh rosemary, and cola on the nose; juicy palate of orange & lime zest, vanilla, rhubarb root, and thyme with a lightly smoky, bitter finish
18% ABV
This rosso vermouth is robust enough for classic cocktails such as Negronis and Manhattans but avoids a cloying finish, instead lending jeweled fruit tones balanced by stemmy herbs and bright bitterness

Black Cherry Liqueur representing one of the oldest liqueur styles of the Piedmont region
Base spirit distilled from molasses
Juice from select black cherries, sugar, and a small amount of dry red wine are added to the base spirit
This mixture rests for 48 hours before filtering and bottling
A dark and luscious cherry liqueur full of cooked Bing cherry and baking spice, reminiscent of cherry soda with a level of acidity perfect for versatile mixing.
30% ABV

American straight bourbon whiskey distilled in Indiana (MGP) and blended and bottled in Bardstown, KY, by Proof and Wood
Mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley
Aged a minimum 2 years in 53-gallon barrels
Blended in small batches of approximately 20 barrels
Date and nutmeg on the nose with a palate of bosc pear, light vanilla and lingering caramel
40.5% ABV
Described by Proof and Wood as an “American Table Whiskey” this is an affordable, workhorse bourbon that doesn’t compromise on flavor

Produced in Angers, France, by Giffard, established in 1885 and currently run by the fifth generation of the Giffard family
Piment d’Espelette is a red chile pepper grown only in the Basque region of France; it is the only French spice with APO/DPO recognition, limited to ten villages in the southeast of France
Whole, fresh Espelette peppers are macerated for four weeks in distillate made from sugar beets combined with a hint of aged rhum agricole from Martinique
An herbaceous nose kicks into assertive chili spice on a warming mid-palate complemented by hints of vanilla, cinnamon, and anise; a lingering intensity slowly tapers to subtle notes of hot cocoa punctuated with sharp grassiness
At 40% ABV, this versatile mixing liqueur can be used incrementally to introduce varying levels of spice and complexity to variety of cocktails and is an intuitive replacement for triple sec or curaçao in spicy variations on Margaritas and other sours