Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquors 

Hey, it’s great to be back after a post-holiday break! Happy New Year to all of you, near and far.

Early last summer, we featured a Ramp Gibson using the Isolation Proof distillery’s nuclear Ramp Gin, and that Gibson remains my favorite Gibson of all time. Isolation Proof Orchard Gin, now available at Pinnacle (a limited edition, so it won’t last long), is a delicious innovation on Old Tom Gin — full-bodied and overlaying traditional gin botanicals with macerated wild apples (picked from the distillery property) and diced, dried pears. The final step is a brief steep in loose-leaf Assam Tea, achieving maximum flavor without extracting too much tannin. You’ll even detect hints of cocoa and baking spices as the gin warms on your palate.

Like any good gin, the Orchard Gin is enjoyable on its own, chilled and neat or over ice, but it has an unusual flavor profile for gin—a profile I love—so I brought a bottle home to see what kind of cocktails it enhances. 

That’s right. In the spirit of public service, I consumed an entire bottle to bring you these recipes. You’re welcome!

While this is not a barrel-aged gin, it’s heartier, more aromatic, and more fruity than conventional American or Old Tom gin. It provides a lighter, refreshing change of pace when it replaces whiskey or rum in some of my favorite cocktails. Here are four Orchard Gin recipes I love, and I encourage you to do some exploring of your own with this excellent gin!

DIRECTIONS: These recipes should all be stirred, not shaken (James Bond had it all wrong!). The garnishes vary, but here’s how to mix them. See each recipe for the garnish treatment. 

Before mixing, chill a cocktail coupe or Martini glass. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice and stir for 15 seconds until well chilled. Strain the drink into the chilled glass.  

EL EXIGENTE
This was the El Presidente, a rum cocktail. Just unplug the rum and plug in the Orchard Gin. (El Exigente is Spanish for “the demanding one, but this gives much more than it takes.) 

1½ oz Isolation Proof Orchard Gin 
¾ oz Blanc or Bianco Vermouth
½ oz Ferrand Dry Curaçao 
A scant teaspoon of Grenadine syrup (buy it or make it)
Garnishes: A wide swath of orange peel, and a Luxardo Maraschino cherry

Express the oils of the orange peel over the cocktail and discard the peel. Garnish with the Maraschino cherry on a pick. 

BLACK MARTINI
Most of you know how much I love my Black Manhattans. I love this recipe just as much!

2 oz Isolation Proof Orchard Gin
1 oz Averna Amaro
2 dashes of Orange bitters
Garnish: A wide swath of orange peel 

Express the oils of the orange peel over the cocktail and discard the peel, or groom it as a garnish to be mounted on the rim of the glass.

THE OXYMORON
If “Gin Manhattan” isn’t an oxymoron, I don’t know what is. And this is a Gin Manhattan.

2 oz Isolation Proof Orchard Gin
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin or a Vermouth di Torino)
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Garnish: A wide swath of orange peel 

Express the oils of the orange peel over the cocktail and discard the peel, or groom it as a garnish to be mounted on the rim of the glass.

POMONA MARTINI
Since Isolation Proof Orchard Gin incorporates fruit harvested from the distillery’s orchards, I named this drink for Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards. 

2 oz Isolation Proof Orchard Gin
¾ oz Benedictine D.O.M. Liqueur
1 dash Pimento bitters or Angostura bitters
Garnish: A wide swath of orange peel 

Express the oils of the orange peel over the cocktail and discard the peel, or groom it as a garnish to be mounted on the rim of the glass.

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.

Shout out to the official supplier of elegant clear ice to the Libation Lounge: My friend Ralph DiTucci of Cristallino Premium Ice and Grace & Disgrace.