As a member of the Dickel Dozen, I’ve had some interesting opportunities. My own bottle from a hand-selected barrel, chosen by national brand ambassador, Dickel Doug? Check! Interviewing the current king of American BBQ, Adam Perry Lang? Double check! This round, they asked for a warm cocktail made with Dickel No. 12, something to get us through the rest of winter (thanks, Phil). Challenge accepted!
I decided the vanilla and caramel notes of this whisky would go nicely with chocolate and coffee. Even at 90 proof, No. 12 is still pretty smooth and sweet. It does have a little kick to it, which stands up well in a cocktail. And not just any old coffee would do, but one aged in George Dickel whisky!
2nd Craft Cold Brewing Co., in Long Beach, California, recently created a micro batch of custom-roasted coffee, using a jug of 1976 George Dickel whisky. Conor, the founder of 2nd Craft, got the jug after his grandfather passed away at the ripe old age of 104. To honor both his grandad’s memory, and the nearly 40 year old whisky, they decided to create a batch of coffee named Grandpa George. They soaked (and re-soaked) the inside of a small barrel with the entire bottle of whisky, and aged the beans in the barrel for a month. Cold brew is the trick with this type of coffee (hence the company name!), which definitely brings out the bourbon flavor. I relied on the heat of the cocoa to warm the coffee, rather than heating it up separately, to help preserve the cold-brewed flavors.
George Dickel called his whisky as “mellow as moonlight”. I think this mocha deserves to be called mellow, too – what do you think?
Mellow Mocha
1.3 ounces of George Dickel No. 12
4 ounces of hot chocolate*
2 ounces of coffee
A dash of coffee bitters (optional)
Mix the chocolate and coffee in your favorite mug. Add the bitters if you’ve got ’em. Add the whisky, give it a quick stir. And you can never go wrong with a bit of whipped cream, right?
*I made my own, with unsweetened soy milk, cocoa powder and fleur de sel caramel sauce from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t use salted caramel, make sure to give your hot chocolate a little pinch of salt.
Article by: Jeanne Runkle
