Rock & Rye

An old-timey saloon sipper, rock and rye traditionally combined rock candy, citrus and rye whiskey into a cordial akin to a bottled Old Fashioned. It made our 2014 Imbibe 75 list of Flavors to Try—mix up a batch from the recipe below, try it neat or in a toddy, and taste why.

1 bottle 100-proof rye whiskey (Kenyon uses Rittenhouse)
Peel of 1/2 an orange
Peel of 1 whole lemon
5 dried apricots
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 whole clove
1 6-inch string of rock candy
1 tsp. dried horehound
Tools: large glass jar, strainer, fine strainer, funnel, empty 750-ml. bottle

Combine all ingredients, except for clove, horehound and rock candy, and let infuse at room temperature for 3 days. Add remaining ingredients and let infuse for 1 day. Fine-strain and funnel into a clean glass bottle. Keep refrigerated for up to 2 months.

Sean Kenyon, Williams & Graham, Denver