Macon Magazine

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2013 MACON MAGAZINE I 39 Freshly Prepared Casseroles and Baked Goods 4420 Forsyth Road, Macon, GA | 478-757-0074 thecasseroleshop.com | carolettascakes.com NOW AVAILABLE at The Casserole Shop! Party-perfect appetizers, entrees and desserts Satisfying meals for holidays, family gatherings, new baby and bereavement Wonderful gifts for clients, friends and family Catering and Gift Cards available Shipping available on cakes, cookies and cheese wafers anywhere in the US for the wedding cookies AMERICAN Honey Cocktail A recipe from bourbon-lover Susannah Maddux, created for her husband Tripp's all-American-themed 30th birthday party this past July – "and to woo friends to bourbon!" she said. 6 cups Fountain of Juice Sweet Green Tea ("$4 for a gallon - a bargain!") 1/2 - 1 cup Maker's Mark bourbon 8-12 sprigs fresh mint, muddled to taste 6-8 sliced fresh orange rounds Ice Pour tea into your preferred pitcher. Place mint leaves, orange slices and bourbon in a medium bowl. Use a muddler or a wooden spoon to muddle (or mash together) the ingredients. Once the flavors are extracted and it smells delicious, add the mixture to the pitcher of tea. Stir well. Pour into iced glasses. Garnish with fresh mint leaves. Devour with delight! An adaptation of this recipe: joythebaker.com/2011/05/sweet-tea-bourbon-cocktails/ FOR MORE BOURBON RECIPES SEE PAGE 100 AND VISIT MACONMAGAZINE.COM trick is to swallow a sip and then breathe back out through your mouth). We also learned that drinking bourbon straight isn't always the best way to experience the whole bouquet, even with the highest held brands. Splashing just a few drops of water can open up a bourbon to an entirely new taste range, as we found with Templeton Rye, which went from traditional oaky to murmurs of sweet caramel, tangy citrus and spicy cinnamon with the tiniest amount of water added. Big Bottom Whiskey, made in Oregon, the home of many a small-batch trend, was an overwhelming favorite of the night, with its warm flavors and slight sweet taste, thanks to it being finished in a 10-year tawny port barrel. And again, with a little drop of water, the flavors really came out. When it comes to trying your own new types of small- batch bourbon, don't be afraid of the price points, which can sometimes put people off when thinking of adventuring into the world of artisan creations. Jones assures customers they can find an amazing new bourbon favorite for $40-$50, and that many of those expensive rare finds don't always live up to the price tag. "The most expensive thing I have here is Johnny Walker Blue," he said. "Do I personally think it's worth $167? No. I would personally prefer a single barrel. A lot of it is ego or marketing." The tasters noted that often collectors will put so much effort into finding a bottle that they might forget the reason for the search in the first place: to enjoy the drink. Jim Burt told a story of a connoisseur tracking down a bottle of elusive bourbon, and upon finding it and paying for it, the shopkeeper broke the seal. When the customer asked him just what did he think he was doing, the shopkeeper said, "If I didn't do that, you'd never drink it. And that's why you bought it." M

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