Holiday Spirit Recipes

Get in the holiday spirit with three cocktail recipes from a Wyoming ranch distiller.

From the working cattle in the corral to the counters of the distillery, Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming, keeps in mind that quality is king. A small-batch distiller based on a working ranch, Brush Creek Distillery uses local ingredients and natural resources to create its line of spirits perfect for the holiday season: Brush Creek Straight Bourbon, Brush Creek Straight Rye, Brush Creek Vodka and Brush Creek Gin.

Launched in 2019, the craft-style spirits are made in the ranch buildings. The Western landscape and lifestyle inspires the makers on a daily basis. The team at the distillery even collaborates with The Farm at Brush Creek, an organic supplier on the ranch, to ensure ranch-forged ingredients mix with sustainable practices. Just in time for the holidays, Brush Creek Distillery can be found in liquor stores across, including those located in Saratoga, Rawlins, Laramie, Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan. 

Here, the Brush Creek mixologists share three holiday-inspired cocktail recipes for your holiday gatherings.

Swing Rider

Vessel: Chilled coupe cocktail glass, no ice

Ingredients:

• ½ ounce honey simple syrup
• 1 ounce grapefruit juice
• 1 ½ ounces Brush Creek Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

Procedure:

1. Shake, strain and serve into a coupe glass cocktail glass
2. Garnish with a blackberry

Winter Manhattan

Vessel: Chilled coupe cocktail glass, no ice

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Brush Creek Rye Whiskey
• ½ ounce sweet vermouth
• 3 dashes walnut bitters

Procedure:

1. Stir and strain into a coupe glass cocktail glass
2. Garnish with a cherry

Chai Tea Trailblazer

Vessel: Chilled coupe cocktail glass, no ice

Ingredients:

• 1½ ounce Brush Creek Bourbon
• ¾ ounce Frangelico
• 1 ounce Chai simple syrup (recipe below)
• 1 ounce  egg white

Procedure:

1. Add all ingredients into a shaker tin, dry shake vigorously
2. Add ice, shake again
3. Strain into a chilled coupe cocktail glass
4. Zest cinnamon on top and serve

Chai Simple Syrup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups hot water
• 5 single-serve chai tea bags

Procedure:

1. Fill half of a quart container with sugar
2. Fill the rest up with hot water and stir quickly
3. Add five chai tea bags and cover with lid
4. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes and remove tea bags