Summer of Bourbon Road Trip: Lost Lantern New Riff Single Cask
We are gearing up for the release of the Lost Lantern Summer of Bourbon Collection on July 26th! This special collection shows that great bourbon comes from all across the United States. To kick things off, we’re launching a virtual road trip feature to introduce you to each of the distilleries in the Collection and help get you in the mood for their whiskies. Next up, and last on our list of single casks: New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky… one of the most ambitious new distilleries in the country, and the source of our Lost Lantern New Riff Bourbon single cask… our first-ever Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey.
New Riff Distillery Overview
The family-owned New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky brings a new lens to centuries of Kentucky bourbon tradition. Their relentless commitment to patiently and meticulously doing things the right way has quickly made New Riff a leading voice in bourbon’s historic heartland.
New Riff is, to us, probably the most exciting of the new distilleries that have opened up in Kentucky (and beyond!) in recent years. It doesn’t have a centuries-old family connection to a bourbon legend. It doesn’t need one. It was founded by true experts and true bourbon lovers who just wanted to make great bourbon, with no shortcuts and no compromises. And that is exactly what New Riff has done.
It was very important to us to have New Riff as part of our Summer of Bourbon release. We knew we wanted a Kentucky bourbon in the mix: if we’re saying great bourbon comes from all across the country, we had to include Kentucky. But we wanted it to be New Riff in particular. Their commitment to quality and precision is unequaled, and they can go toe-to-toe with distilleries many times their size… while also sharing many traits with our distillery partners from other states.
Lost Lantern New Riff Single Cask Details
Our first-ever Kentucky straight bourbon is instantly recognizable as New Riff. Made from 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley, this straight bourbon whiskey was aged for 4 years in a 53-gallon char 1 ISC Cooper’s Reserve barrel (which is an unusually low char for New Riff, and for Kentucky bourbon in general). It has warm, rounded oak and an intriguing smoky spice on the nose. The palate has notes of smoked maraschino cherries, vanilla and molasses, and lemon meringue pie, with a hint of mint on the finish.
This is Lost Lantern’s first release from New Riff Distilling and our first release from Kentucky, and we’re incredibly proud to have it as part of our Summer of Bourbon collection.
Lost Lantern New Riff Cocktail Recipe: Foggy Morning Breaking
For our single cask bourbons this summer I wanted to explore the original cocktail. What we now know as the old fashioned used to just be called “An {insert spirit here} cocktail.” Spirit, sugar, bitters. That’s it. Some time in the 1870’s people started to order more complicated cocktails and sooner or later someone got fed up with the extra stuff and said, “Give me a cocktail, you know the old-fashioned kind.” All we have to do is tweak one of those basic ingredients and we’ve got a whole new, old-fashioned to explore.
Our New Riff Single Cask has hints of earth and cigar box. As soon as I tasted it I knew what kind of old fashioned I wanted to make. This is where I turn y’all on to my favorite secret weapon behind the bar. Sorghum syrup. Sorghum is a grass that came from Africa with the slave trade and found the American South a climate that suited its growth well. While it has a color and look similar to molasses, sorghum syrup is made from the green juice of the plant. Molasses is made as a byproduct of sugar cane processing, after the sugar has already been extracted from the fresh green stalk of cane. Because of this fact, the sweetener retains some green, earthy funky notes along with a slight sour finish. It is also thinner than molasses which means you don’t have to thin it out for cocktails like you would molasses; you can add it straight to your mixing glass. And you should be able to find a jar on most baking aisles. Use half for cocktails and save the rest for making a batch of cornmeal sorghum sandies!
Lost Lantern New Riff Cocktail Instructions: Foggy Morning Breaking
2 oz Lost Lantern New Riff Single Cask Bourbon
½ oz Sorghum syrup
4-5 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir until syrup is dissolved fully. Serve on a big ice cube and garnish with a thin slice of orange peel.
-California State Manager Drew Record
Lost Lantern New Riff Food Pairing
GRILLED BRIE WITH BOOZY CHERRY COMPOTE
If you’re looking for the perfect summer appetizer look no further than this Grilled Brie with Boozy Cherry Compote. It’s made using Lost Lantern New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. While the compote made sound fancy I assure you it’s quick and easy to make. The hardest part will be pitting the fresh cherries. If you don’t happen to have a cherry pitter, a straw works just as well! You may, however, want to consider wearing gloves while pitting the cherries unless you’re not opposed to having red hands! Serve with baguette slices or crackers!
GRILLED BRIE WITH BOOZY CHERRY COMPOTE
Yield: 1 brie
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 8 ounces wheel Brie
1 cup fresh cherries – pitted
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Lost Lantern New Riff Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Fresh cracked black pepper
Directions:
- Preheat grill pan over medium heat. Lightly brush both sides of Brie with olive oil.
- Place Brie onto grill pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side.
- While Brie is grilling, into a medium saucepan add: cherries, water, and sugar. Stir frequently until cherries have released their juices and thickened. Remove pan from heat, add bourbon. Stir to combine. Season with fresh cracked black pepper.
- Top Brie with cherry compote. Serve warm.
-Marketing and Brand Manager Paula Jones
Lost Lantern New Riff Music Pairing
What road trip, virtual or otherwise, would be complete without a playlist? California state manager Drew Record has curated a unique listening experience for your next trip to New Riff Distillery, the first distillery we’ve worked with that’s part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! So if you’re planning a trip to New Riff, whether on its own or as part of the Bourbon Trail… or if you’re just enjoying a glass of New Riff at home and want to get in that Kentucky mindset… this is the playlist for you. Enjoy!