This cocktail is a redux of one that we did a few years ago, tweaking the measurements a bit.  We like this version much better.

2 oz Roundstone Rye 80 Proof
½ oz saffron-infused simple syrup
Dash of Liquid Gold bitters
Lemon peel garnish

Stir all together in a rocks glass with a big cube.

Recipe courtesy Denise Petty and used with permission.

March means St. Patrick's Day, so naturally, our March tasting room cocktails are a little on the greenish side of things.

1½ oz Watershed Gin
1 oz matcha tea
½ oz lemon juice
Dash of Iki bitters
Lemon twist garnish

Stir all together in a Nick and Nora glass with a ice cubes.

Recipe courtesy Denise Petty and used with permission.

March means St. Patrick's Day, so naturally, our March tasting room cocktails are a little on the greenish side of things.

2 oz Roundstone Rye 80 Proof
½ oz lime juice
Top with ginger beer
Lime wheel garnish

Stir all together in a rocks glass with a ice cubes.

Recipe courtesy Denise Petty and used with permission.

March means St. Patrick's Day, so naturally, our March tasting room cocktails are a little on the greenish side of things.

1½ oz Roundstone Rye 92 Proof
½ oz melon liqueur (like Midori)
½ oz sour water (citric acid water)
Edible pearl dust
Brandied cherry garnish

Stir all together in a rocks glass with a big cube.

Recipe courtesy Denise Petty and used with permission.

One of our feature tasting room cocktails for February this year.

2 oz Roundstone Rye 80 Proof
1 oz cranberry juice
½ oz lemon juice
Dash of Angostura bitters

Combine the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a glass and garnish with a cherry.

One of our feature tasting room cocktails for February this year.

2 oz Roundstone Rye 92 Proof
¾ oz strawberry simple syrup
½ oz citric acid water
½ oz creme de cacao

Combine the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a glass and garnish with grated dark chocolate.

One of our feature tasting room cocktails for February this year.

2 oz Watershed Gin
¾ oz Campari (less if you don't like bitter, or substitute Aperol)
¾ oz Sweet Vermouth

Combine the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Stir and strain into a glass and garnish with magic (aka pearl dust).

This cocktail comes to us from Kara Newman's newest book, Shake. Stir. Sip., featuring easy cocktails done in equal parts.  What I love about this cocktail, besides its refreshing taste, is that the four (five, really) ingredients combine in such a pleasant way, while being individually unidentifiable in the final drink.  In other words, they blend so well into something wholly new, you'd never know that there was (for instance), St. Germain in the beverage.  I guess the word I'm looking for here is "synergy," where the end result is greater than the sum of its parts. Regardless of how you analyze it, this drink has been our staple drink through the winter this season.

¾ oz Watershed Gin
¾ oz St. Germain
¾ oz Curaçao or orange liqueur
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
Absinthe rinse

Rinse a chilled coupe with absinthe, then combine the ingredients into a shaker of ice.  Shake well, strain into the coupe, and serve with a lemon peel garnish.

Recipe courtesy Kara Newman, Shake. Stir. Sip.

We enjoyed yet another holiday dinner this year, with wonderful drinks made by our Operations Manager, Lauren Barrett.  Here they are, in order of the menu.  Sorry, but we were so busy eating dinner, we forgot to take photos!

Welcome Cocktail:

1 oz Pearousia
½ oz Aperol
1 oz OJ

Combine ingredients in a flute and top with sparkling wine.

Gin-gle All The Way:

1 oz Watershed Gin
½ oz lemon
¼ oz rosemary simple
½ oz Domaine de Canton

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Chim Chim Cherry:

1 oz Roundstone Rye 80 Proof
⅓ oz lemon
⅓ oz grapefruit
¼ oz agave syrup
⅛ oz Luxardo
Brandied cherry

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with cherry.

Come On Krampus:

1 oz Roundstone Rye Distillers Edition
¼ oz brown sugar syrup
½ oz Quarter Branch Apple Brandy
¾ oz OJ
2 bar spoons Pratt Standard grenadine

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Nipping At Your Nose:

1 oz Roundstone Rye 80 Proof
1 oz apple cider
1 oz 1757 amaretto (almond extract, vanilla bean, brown sugar, granulated sugar)
Black walnut whipped cream (heavy cream, black walnut bitters, powdered sugar)

Serve warm in a coffee cup; top with cream.

Recipes courtesty Lauren Barrett, and used with permission.

Here's a new account for you to follow:  @theboozygay from Spring, Texas.  Eddie Harris is the owner of the account, and also happens to be the son of the founders.  When he's not full-time ambassador for Catoctin Creek in Texas, he enjoys walks on the beach, piña coladas, and making cocktails. This one is his latest.  "This week's cocktail of the week says Merry Christmas in a very boozy way!"

1 oz Copper and Kings Brandy
1 oz Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye
⅔ oz of cranberry syrup*
Dash of bitters

Stir and enjoy over a big rock in a rocks glass.  Garnish with cranberries on a toothpick.

Cranberry syrup
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 bag of cranberries
1 tsp nutmeg

Combine all over low heat until mixed, at least one hour.  Strain and remove the cranberries.  Keep syrup in refrigerator for up to three months.

Recipe and photo courtesy @theboozygay and used with permission.

This cocktail is a modification of one that was in Whisky Advocate. The original recipe had a rather complicated pear/persimmon/clove brown simple syrup, which I'm sure is lovely, but I just finished canning a dozen cans of fresh persimmon jam, and so I wanted to use that instead. I've tweaked things around a bit while still honoring the original ingredients and proportions. And honestly, it came out great!!

This cocktail is the embodiment of November. You can serve it as a sling (cold, with an ice cube), or warm it gently and serve as a toddy.

3 oz Roundstone Rye 92 Proof
1 oz Nonino amaro
½ oz brown sugar syrup or molasses syrup
½ oz persimmon jam
2 oz pear juice
dash of vanilla extract
dash of woodland bitters

Vigorously shake all the ingredients in a shaker of ice. Double-strain and serve with a big rock in a rocks glass. Serves two.

Recipe and photo courtesy Scott Harris, variation on a recipe in Whisky Advocate.

This cocktail comes to us from Nathan Wilkinson, @jollybartender on Instagram. It is a wonderful celebration of Commonwealth featuring two of its best distilleries:

This cocktail shows off Catoctin Creek’s Distillers Edition Roundstone Rye with Mt. Defiance Sweet Vermouth—two great Virginia distilleries.

3 oz Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Distiller's Edition
½ oz Mt. Defiance Sweet Vermouth
½ oz Ramazzotti amaro
3 dashes Hella orange bitters
Lemon zest garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker of ice. Stir and strain into a coupe and garnish.

Cocktail and photo courtesy Nathan Wilkinson, and used with permission.