We can’t wait to make these Chicken Cock Whiskey cocktails for the holidays

Put cranberry in your whiskey as well as on your turkey

By Georgina Torbet November 13, 2024 11:00AM

Whiskey glass — istock/itakdalee

It feels like we’ve barely cleared Halloween, but already holiday season is approaching in full force with Thanksgiving and Christmas on the horizon. Whether you love the holidays or dread them, it can be fun to shit your perspective into a more winter-oriented mood by switching up your drinks to reflect the season. And if you are someone who loves to host, then it’s never too early to start planning out a seasonal drinks menu to share with family and friends.

Chicken Cock Whiskey is a proud Kentucky brand which isn’t too precious to suggest mixing delicious cocktails with its spirits, and it’s come in once again with two options for seasonal whiskey cocktails which are complex enough to be interesting, without being too fussy to make at home. The Thanksgiving-themed Skip the Turkey throws in cranberry juice for a taste of the holiday, while the Christmasy Stoke the Fire includes peach and herbal liqueurs plus smoke for a cozy fireside mood.

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For Thanksgiving: Skip the Turkey

Chicken Cock Whiskey

Ingredients:

2 oz. Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Bourbon
1 oz. Orange Juice
.75 oz. Demerara Syrup
.5 oz. Cranberry Juice
Sparkling Wine

Garnish:

Fresh Cranberry
Rosemary Sprig

Method:

Stir all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice
Pour into chilled stemmed glassware
Top with sparkling wine, a cranberry pick, and sprig of rosemary.

For Christmas: Stoke the Fire

Chicken Cock Whiskey

Ingredients:

2 oz. Chicken Cock Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon
.75 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1 tsp. Peach Liqueur
1 tsp. Herbal Liqueur
2 dashes Aromatic Bitters
Cocktail Smoker

Method:

Stir all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice
Pour down (without ice) into a rocks glass
Top with a smoke float using a cocktail smoker and wood chips of your choosing

Georgina Torbet

Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…

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There's no taste more reminiscent of the fall than crisp apple cider, and it's a great ingredient to include in your cocktails if you're looking to capture some of the mood of the season. Apple cider can work well with a wide range of spirits, but one which makes for a natural pairing is bourbon, with its robust fruity flavors and notes of vanilla and oak.

The brand Eric LeGrand recently released a single barrel bourbon just in time for the holidays, and it's the first single barrel spirit to come from this relatively new brand on the scene. As part of the release, the brand has come up with cocktails to show off the flavors of this release to its best, and one is a charming blend of apple cider and bourbon. As well as the two star players, there's also a squeeze of lemon juice for some sharp bit and a touch of maple syrup for sweetness and more seasonal flavor.