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We have spoilers for the August 2023 Shaker & Spoon box!
Garden parties are a beautiful summertime treat, but come August, conventional wisdom’s always been that the pool rules and the beach is king.
If our Summer Scotch series has taught us anything, though, it’s that those one or two steps away from the standard can make all the difference. For two boxes now, we’ve brought our buddy low- to no-peat Scotch to the summer bash, an all-new shades-and-slides look for a spirit that was hesitant to even loosen the necktie.
And what a welcome sight it was to see how its aged malt and strong oaky kick helped shine a light on bright ingredients typically reserved for light rums and agave spirits. So allow us another sly sidestep as we dry off, swing the garden gates open, and play with the spirit in ways that showcase the glorious natural side of the season!
By this time of year, our plots are teeming with a bounty of the best-looking herbs, fruit, and flowers around—and so too are the cocktails of the Summer Scotch 3 Box, a celebration of all things fresh and lively that’ll have lap-swimmers and land-lovers alike looking quite delighted!
Flowers, flowers, everywhere, as far as the eye can see: in Scotland where ling heather turns entire mountainsides a pleasing shade of purple, and in this tall sparkler that bar- and garden-tender Keyatta Mincey Parker has packed with petals.
In The Floral Guards, a simple whisk(e)y soda’s been gifted a stunning bouquet of hibiscus syrup and lavender bitters for bright color and flavor with a showering spritz of rosemary and thyme on top!
There’s no sting to be found in the soft and delicate Bee About It from John Codd, a West Coast bar vet with a love for interesting flavor combinations and old fashioneds.
The experience is Scotch-based, honeyed, and botanical-driven, created here by honey-sage syrup, lemon bitters, and floating drops of sage-infused olive oil, which heightens the aroma and adds li’l bits of lush texture very much worth buzzing about!
Island lover? Well, Scotland has almost 800 of them to choose from, though they may not be the kind that inspire steel drum and straw-sipping fantasies. The Torridon from Caer Maiko (currently a Top Four 2023 nominee for Tales of the Cocktail’s US Bartender of the Year Spirited Award!) contains popular elements of such tropical tipples, but heads inland to toughen up and suit more moody and craggy coastlines.
The cocktail kicks off with an infusion of Scotch and dried pineapple, which gets stirred with apricot-peach syrup, lemon bitters, and allspice. Fruity, spiced, but stiff . . . “there can be only one” hot-weather hero of these Highlands.
Coupon Code
Subscribing for the first time? Don’t forget to use code HIGHLANDS15 for $15 off!
What is Shaker and Spoon?
Shaker & Spoon is a cocktail is a monthly cocktail mix subscription. Each month you’ll get 3 unique recipes by top bartenders + everything you need to make 12 drinks (4 from each recipe) other than the liquor—syrups, bitters, mixers, garnishes & more. You’ll be exposed to new flavors & combos, and look at your liquor cabinet in a whole new way. Subscribe today & be your own bartender + the tastemaker in your circle!
Cost: $50/month
Category: Coffee / Tea / Cocktail