Drinks That Do Good

A spirits icon since its founding in 2006, Angel’s Envy is rooted in a wider bourbon history—one that stretches nearly two hundred years. Based in the heart of Louisville bourbon country, the family-owned brand is known for its plays on tradition, taking time-honored distilling methods and making them its own. In a rare practice for the industry, Angel’s Envy goes the extra mile with its bourbon, finishing each barrel in hand-selected ruby port wine casks for an added depth of flavor and complexity. 

By nature, whiskey distillers have a reverence for history, but Angel’s Envy has its eye on the future, too. That’s why the brand is so invested in maintaining the world’s white oak population: Without oak, there would be no wooden barrels, and without barrels, no bourbon. In 2014, Angel’s Envy launched Toast the Trees, an initiative that plants a white oak tree for every photo posted of an Angel’s Envy cocktail or bottle using the hashtag #ToastTheTrees. In partnership with organizations such as the Arbor Day Foundation and Green Forests Work, the brand has now planted more than one hundred and thirty thousand trees, preserving the elements that make bourbon production possible and safeguarding the tradition in the process. 

For cocktail enthusiasts, getting involved is as easy as mixing a drink and raising a glass. During September, G&G and Angel’s Envy invite you to join us for a three-part series of virtual cocktail tutorials featuring classic sips made with Angel’s Envy bourbon. Using the recipes below as a guide, stock your bar and go to @GardenandGun’s Instagram or Facebook page throughout September for lively crash courses with a seasoned mixologist. 

To take part in the campaign, simply post a photo of your cocktail to Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #ToastTheTrees. Following the live tutorials, the videos can be found on this page to reference time and again. We can’t wait to imbibe with you—cheers! 

Whiskey Sour

Dating to 1862, the whiskey sour is one of the oldest cocktails still in rotation, originally described by Jerry Thomas in his book The Bon Vivant’s Companion or How to Mix Drinks. While many variations on the drink exist, the base recipe has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. 

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
2 oz. Angel’s Envy Bourbon finished in Port Wine Barrels
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup
Cocktail cherry for garnish

Preparation:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and add the bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

Shake well and strain into a chilled sour glass.

Garnish with a cherry.

 

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The Old-Fashioned

The original old-fashioned is often credited to a bartender at Louisville’s famous Pendennis Club around 1891. According to legend, it was created in honor of distiller James E. Pepper, who went on to bring the recipe to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel bar in New York City. Here, the cocktail continued to evolve, and not long after Prohibition, an anonymous reader wrote to the New York Times with an impassioned plea for the city’s bartenders to embrace the traditional Louisville preparation. In honor of this mysterious traditionalist, the following recipe does just that. 

Ingredients:
Cracked ice
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 tsp. sugar or one sugar cube
1 tsp. mineral water
2 oz Angel’s Envy Bourbon finished in Port Wine Barrels
Lemon peel twist for garnish

Preparation:
Fill a mixing glass halfway with cracked ice, then add the bitters, sugar, and water. 

Stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Strain over fresh cracked ice in an old-fashioned glass.

Add the bourbon and stir well.

Garnish with the lemon twist.

 

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The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree

This cocktail was created by Angel Teta, Angel’s Envy’s National Whiskey Guardian, in honor of Toast the Trees. Not unlike the program, the drink is rooted in sustainability, using every part of the apple for the apple syrup to ensure nothing goes to waste. For those short on time, store-bought apple syrups work just as well, making this a simple sip to mix at home. 

Ingredients:
2 oz Angel’s Envy Bourbon finished in Port Wine Barrels
1.5 oz apple syrup (recipe follows)
0.25 oz lemon juice
2 oz chilled Brut sparkling wine

Preparation:
Combine the bourbon, apple syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker and shake. 

Strain into a coupe glass and top with the chilled sparkling wine.

For the apple syrup:

Ingredients:
1 liter of high-quality apple cider
1 cinnamon stick
½ star anise pod
¼ cup lemon juice
¾ cup sugar

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except the sugar and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and let simmer for one hour.  

Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick, add the sugar, and return to a boil. 

Reduce to a low simmer and cook for another hour.

When ready, the syrup should coat the back of a spoon.