The Best Bottle Of Michter's Whiskey For Mixing Cocktails, According To Distiller Dan McKee - Exclusive
If you're a big whiskey lover, then you've probably heard of Michter's Distillery, which has received rave reviews all around — Tasting Table even ranked one of its bottles among the best bourbons to drink in 2023. If you've been looking for a new whiskey for making cocktails at home and want to try out a Michter's bottle, we've got you covered. Tasting Table spoke with Dan McKee, Michter's master distiller, at the Nassau Paradise Island Wine and Food Fest's Michter's tasting event (hosted by The Dilly Club) to get answers.
When it comes to mixing cocktails, McKee's first recommendation is the U.S. One Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, namely due to its widespread popularity. But, he also thinks a rye whiskey could be a good match. McKee said, "I know, being a rye lover, that our U.S. One Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye is another great one because I actually, in traveling, see that being used in a lot of different cocktails." He added that it's perfect for making an old fashioned, one of the most popular whiskey cocktails out there.
McKee also has a bourbon-style recommendation for cocktails
McKee has one more recommendation up his sleeve for the best whiskeys for cocktail-making purposes — and this one is a bourbon-style whiskey. It's the U.S. One Small Batch Unblended American Whiskey, which McKee says is an approachable whiskey in part because it has the lowest ABV of 41.7% (which is about four percent lower than McKee's other recommendations). Overall, he described it as sweet and dessert-like.
McKee explained, "Some of that distillate would be aged in a new toasted charred American white oak barrel and a once-used Michter's bourbon barrel. And as they age and come back together, that's where it's creating that very nice sweet [flavor]." Perhaps you can use the American whiskey bottle to bring in some extra sweetness to help balance out the tartness of a classic frothy whiskey sour or to complement the naturally sweet nature of the peaches in a summertime peach whiskey smash.