Distilled: Manhattan Riffs and Cask Strength Knives

Plus: Eagle Rare 30 drops; a fresh New York Sour; bonded bourbons

Whenever we ask bartenders about their favorite cocktails, one drink almost invariably comes up—the Manhattan. And why not? It’s been around for more than a century for a reason, and it also offers a perfect template for personalization. As contributing editor Wayne Curtis writes, “The Manhattan should properly be classified not as a single drink but as a class of drink.” In this week’s Distilled, Curtis runs down the basic architecture and offers three variations that all take the drink in interesting directions, from an “inverted” version to one that even incorporates a bit of smoky mezcal. For another winning cocktail, Missy and John Hillock, the proprietors of the aptly named Chateau Bourbon in Louisville, share a recipe for a guest favorite, their spin on the New York Sour, with a floater of barrel-aged cab. If you also appreciate the craft of knife-making, check out the gorgeous Cask Strength chef’s knives Tennessee bladesmith Will Manning forges using reclaimed bourbon barrel bands. And, yes, the rumors are true, Buffalo Trace is releasing Eagle Rare 30, the distillery’s oldest age-stated bourbon yet. Here’s to welcoming the weekend with your preferred cocktail in hand.

Why this classic of classics endures—and three variations to try.

How bladesmith Will Manning turns bourbon barrel bands into working art.

MISSY AND JOHN HILLOCK

As proprietors of Chateau Bourbon, a Louisville bed-and-breakfast that leans hard into Kentucky bourbon, Missy and John Hillock were named 2025 Innkeepers of the Year by Select Registry, a portfolio of boutique and luxury properties across the country. While the nightly happy hour, at which Missy’s Chateau Bourbon Sour is a guest favorite, probably wasn’t the deciding factor for the honor, it certainly couldn’t have hurt.

“Finding a drink that can satisfy everyone’s palate can be challenging, yet this one nails it. Our Chateau Bourbon Sour is a house riff on the classic New York Sour. It’s bold enough for seasoned bourbon lovers, yet smooth and approachable for guests who think they don’t like bourbon. With fresh lemon, Kentucky bourbon, and a red wine float that creates a beautiful natural ombré in the glass, it’s as visually stunning as it is delicious. Unlike many cocktails, it’s a drink that works year-round—refreshing in summer, cozy in winter, and it makes the perfect toast for holidays and celebrations. Travelers stay with us primarily to explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and this cocktail becomes part of that experience. We send guests home with a recipe card, and our favorite part is receiving photos when they re-create it back home.”

Chateau Bourbon Sour
2 oz. Kentucky bourbon
1 oz. simple syrup
½ lemon, squeezed
3 to 4 dashes Angostura orange bitters
1 oz. bourbon-barrel-aged cabernet sauvignon

Place 4 to 5 ice cubes in a shaker. Add all ingredients except for the wine. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass filled with fresh ice. Slowly and gently pour the red wine on top, allowing the wine to float on the surface.

—Steve Russell, G&G contributing editor

What the historic designation means, and why more distilleries are embracing it.

Make mine a double: For the first time, Angel’s Envy is releasing its coveted Cask Strength Bourbon and Cask Strength Rye simultaneously. This year’s bourbon ($250), typically a fall release, is blended from some of the distillery’s oldest stock, with an extended finish in ruby port casks. The ten-year rye ($270), the brand’s first age-stated rye, spent up to four years finishing in Caribbean rum casks.

After months of online speculation, Eagle Rare 30 ($12,500) has landed. The oldest age-stated bourbon to date from Buffalo Trace benefits from several years in the distillery’s experimental refrigerated warehouse. Bonhams will auction the first bottles beginning April 24, with the rest trickling out in May.

Foley Family Wines & Spirits has released Gambit No. 6 ($70), a six-year-old Kentucky bourbon with portions finished in six types of casks: chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, apple brandy, muscatel, oloroso, and Tokaji. It marks the second whiskey release under Chip Tate, who joined the company in early 2024 after previously founding Texas’s Balcones Distilling.

Speaking of Texas, sample pours from leading Lone Star State distilleries at the ninth annual Texas Whiskey Festival (April 18) at Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave.

In Nashville, bourbon shares the spotlight with craft beer and sparkling wine from local makers at the Bourbon & Bubbles Fest (April 18), a party, fashion show, and fundraiser for the Iroquois Steeplechase held at Steeplechase Grandstands.

Even if you can’t attend the star-studded Unbridled Eve Derby Gala, which returns May 1 to the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville, the silent auction (scheduled to go live today) is open to online bidders. Browse around a hundred items and experiences, including a private tasting with Churchill Downs’ official bourbon ambassador.

—Tom Wilmes, G&G contributor