Infuse raw corn whiskey with bacon, add Manhattan cocktail ingredients and hand-charred Mesquite chips, and let it age for 10 weeks in a three-gallon oak barrel. That’s what Reserve 101 bar owners Mike Raymond and Steve Long have done to create the “Barrel-Aged Manhattan” that will be unveiled at a complimentary tasting on Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m., at the downtown Houston bar.
Space is limited; the complimentary tasting a registration-only event. Sign up at: http://reserve101.com/whiskey-tastings-houston.
“We’ve been making infusions at Reserve 101 for quite some time, steeping organic material in liquor to impart unique flavors. This time, we decided to take it over the edge,” says Raymond.
New York’s Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery provided Reserve 101 an oak barrel used to produce Hudson Baby Bourbon and some of its un-aged corn whiskey. Mike and Steve infused the whiskey with the grease from six pounds of fried bacon, refrigerated it overnight, scraped off the fat cap and filtered the liquor. They mixed the bacon-flavored whiskey with basic Manhattan ingredients—sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and bitters—then poured it into the barrel. They then hand-charred about 30 small chips of Mesquite wood, corked the barrel and moved it in and out of Houston’s summer heat wave to promote expansion and contraction of the barrel oak, and agitated the mixture off and on over ten weeks’ time until the taste was just right.
Reserve 101 is located in the heart of Houston’s downtown EaDo entertainment district at the corner of Caroline and Dallas, next to Dirt Bar and across from House of Blues. The bar offers the finest collection of whiskey in the Southwest —nearly 200 varieties of popular, small-batch, new and hard-to-find brands from around the world, with more selections on the way.
“We’re working up to 300 whiskeys, one or two bottles at a time,” Raymond says.
Reserve 101 is also famous for its Signature Cocktails and infusions, organic material steeped in liquor to impart distinctive flavorings.
“Happy Hour,” with dollar-off beers and wines and half-price signature cocktails runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday with specials just about every day of the week, including Sundays.
More information about Reserve 101 and whiskeys is available by contacting
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