Just in time for the summer season, Washington’s Tieton Cider Works teamed up with another Northwest favorite, Dry Fly Distilling, to add a little extra umph to its popular summer release of the Bourbon Barrel Peach cider. This year, the cider itself was aged Dry Fly barrels that previously housed the distillery’s bourbon, giving the cider depth, vanilla and spice from the spiked barrels. Taking it one step further, the two collaborated on a number of cider cocktail recipes, like That Summer Sunshine.
“We wanted to collaborate with someone geographically close that have the same background and same inspiration we have in farming,” says Marcus Robert, cidermaker and co-owner of Tieton, which is the largest cider apple farm on the West Coast. “Dry Fly Distilling fit the bill with locally harvested grains from Eastern Washington.”
Robert elected to age the cider in bourbon for a variety of reasons, from aroma to palate and texture. “I think bourbon barrels provide more interesting layers that you can’t get from just toasted barrels,” he says. “Other than a bit of tannin, bourbon barrels add a bit caramel and plum notes. Think Peaches Foster.”
A modern take on an old classic, Dry Fly enlisted Alex Shannon, the distillery’s brand ambassador, to recreate the Whiskey Smash with cider. “In Dry Fly’s tasting room, we make a similar version with ginger beer and I figured, ‘why not?'” Shannon says.
According to Shannon, bourbon and peach is a combination that has worked well together for generations, with the heartiness of the bourbon and the apple flavors of the cider balancing each other out. Throw in some summer fruit and citrus and you’ve got yourself a cocktail.
“I didn’t want the cocktail to become too sweet and cover up the flavor of the bourbon, so I used lemon juice for a little citrus and raspberries for the berry flavors,” Shannon says. “Raspberries also work well with peach adding a berry flavor, but also pleasing tartness.”
That Summer Sunshine
Makes 1 cocktail
4 raspberries
1 lemon wedge
2 ounces Dry Fly Distilling Bourbon 101
6 ounces Tieon Cider Works Bourbon Barrel Aged Peach
Muddle fruit in the bottom of a shaker. Add ice and the bourbon. Shake and dump contents into a Mule mug. Top with cider.
