In our most recent article, “Top Spirited Modifiers To Upgrade Your Cocktail Game,” we discussed modifiers—what they are, the origin and use—and we provided a list of top modifiers (or mixers) to add to your home bar in order to upgrade your cocktail game. If you haven’t read that article, we recommend starting there first. Here, we share several new and classic cocktails that you can make using those spirited modifiers. For most of the following cocktails, the base spirit of choice (whiskey or rum) should be selected according to your own desired flavor preference.

Rye whiskey (which is American made whiskey distilled from at least 51% rye grain and aged in new, charred oak barrels), was the main spirit used in many classic cocktails in pre-Prohibition America. After the repeal of Prohibition, the production of corn whiskey, which we know as Bourbon (American made whiskey distilled from at least 51% corn and aged in new, charred oak barrels), took over the rye market. Not only was Bourbon easier to make, but corn was a cheaper grain alternative. The American palate moved towards sweeter drinks, replacing the more spicy, dry rye whiskey in cocktails with the sweet and rich corn Bourbon flavor.

In the modern era, when ordering classic cocktails like the Manhattan and Old Fashioned, most people choose the more commonly known “Bourbon” base. Today, we have both American whiskey options from which to choose, based on our individual palates and preferences. A rye cocktail tends to be drier, whereas a bourbon cocktail tends to be sweeter. 

In the rum world, there are different styles of aged and silver rums. Variations of rum depend on what type of cane the rum is distilled from, how long it is aged, as well as what kind of barrels are used for aging. For example, our First Run Rum (a demerara sugar-based rum aged for one year in new charred white American oak barrels) will lend bourbon-like vanilla and spice notes, creating a lighter bodied cocktail. Our Maple Cask Rum (where First Run Rum is aged a second time in a barrel that previously held Vermont maple syrup), will lend a fuller bodied, richer, charred oak flavor with subtle maple notes to your cocktail. 

We often experiment with modifiers to create delicious cocktails using Mad River Distillers spirits. Here are our suggested new and classic cocktails recipes to try using spirited modifiers:

PERFECT MANHATTAN
This classic Manhattan cocktail, with sweet and dry vermouth, has a light body and fruity flavor.

Ingredients:
- 2 oz Mad River Revolution Rye or Bourbon
- 1/2 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth
- 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth 

Directions: 
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for about 15-30 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain contents into a Coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with a Lemon Peel or Cherry.

GREENPOINT
A NYC new-age riff on the Manhattan, with a split of sweet vermouth and herbal, honey-like flavored yellow chartreuse.

Ingredients:
- 2 oz Mad River Revolution Rye or Bourbon
- 1/2 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth
- 1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
- Dash Angostura Bitters
- Dash Orange Bitters 

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for about 15-30 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain contents into a Coupe or Martini glass. With a lemon peel, express the oil over the drink, and rub the lemon peel around rim of glass. Discard the lemon peel.

RED HOOK
Here’s another NYC Manhattan riff, this time adding dry cherry liqueur, Maraschino, which lends a light, fruity, and earthy component.

Ingredients:
- 2 oz Mad River Revolution Rye or Bourbon
- 1/2 oz Punt E Mes
- 1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino

Directions: 
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for about 15-30 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain contents into Coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

FINAL WARD
A fun take on a whiskey sour cocktail created by Phil Ward, which adds herbal, cherry and earthy notes along with Green Chartreuse and Maraschino.

Ingredients:
- 3/4 oz Mad River Revolution Rye
- 3/4 oz Green Chartreuse
- 3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino
- 3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with lots of ice. Shake hard until frost appears on the shaker tin. Double strain contents into a Coupe or Martini glass.

LA LOUISIANE
A sweet Manhattan style cocktail using spiced Benedictine liqueur, a slight hint of anise to cut through the sweetness from the Absinthe, and bright, drying citrus notes from the Peychauds bitters to tie all the ingredients together.

Ingredients:
- 1 oz Mad River Revolution Rye or Bourbon
- 1 oz Carpano Sweet Vermouth
- 1 oz Benedictine
- 3 Dashes Peychauds Bitters
- Scant Barspoon of Absinthe

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for about 15-30 seconds, or until well chilled. Strain contents into a Coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with a cherry.

SAZERAC
A classic Old Fashioned cocktail created in New Orleans that popularized the use of Rye whiskey. A heavy pour of simple syrup balances out the spicy Rye whiskey. Absinthe and Peychauds are used to lighten up the sweet, spicy flavors with bright citrus and anise notes. The lemon zest gives a fresh, candied-like aroma.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 oz Absinthe
- 2 oz Revolution Rye Whiskey
- 3/4 oz Simple Syrup
- 5-8 Dashes Peychauds bitters

Directions:
Rinse a chilled rocks glass with 1/2 oz of Absinthe, then dump it out. Add remaining ingredients to a mixing glass with lots of ice. Stir for about 15-30 seconds or until well chilled. Strain contents into the Absinthe-rinsed glass.  Express a lemon peel over the drink, then rub the lemon peel around the rim of the glass before discarding it.

PAPER PLANE
The new age classic of the whiskey sour has become a staple on craft cocktail menus because of its brightness, balance and bold flavors. Aperol and Amaro Nonino add bright orange, tart rhubarb and vanilla notes, as well as earthy bark and bitter spices notes. These ingredients add an explosion of flavors in the best way!

Ingredients:
- 3/4 oz Mad River Bourbon
- 3/4 oz Aperol
- 3/4 oz Amaro Nonino
- 3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with lots of ice. Shake hard until frost appears on the shaker tin. Double strain the drink into a Coupe or Martini glass.

KINGSTON NEGRONI
The classic Negroni cocktail is like the Manhattan and Old Fashioned in that the base spirit is interchangeable. The use of sweet red vermouth and bitter orange Campari are the perfect components to balance and enhance any base spirit. In this case, we use aged Rum instead of gin for a more caramelized oak barrel influence on the drink. 

Ingredients:
- 1 oz Mad River PX Rum
- 1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
- 1 oz Campari

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir a few times to incorporate ingredients. Strain contents over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel/swath.

HEMINGWAY DAIQUIRI
Popularized by Ernest Hemingway, this cocktail is a drier, stronger take on the classic Daiquiri recipe. With dry, earthy, cherry notes of Maraschino and grapefruit juice, this is one zesty Daiquiri recipe.

Ingredients:
- 2oz Mad River Rum 44
- 1/2 oz Maraschino Liqueur
- 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
- 1/2 oz lime juice

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake without ice. Pour contents into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and grapefruit peel.

MAD RIVER MAI TAI
A tiki rum concoction, this drink features citrus notes from the lime and Dry Curacao, as well as a sweet tropical note from Orgeat syrup, which is an almond-infused sugar syrup. Our Mai Tai recipe adds a fun tropical flavor with our Vanilla Rum, which is a Tahitian Vanilla-infused demerara sugar rum, as well as a floater of Maple Cask Rum on top. The mint garnish is crucial as a transportive aroma to any tropical destination!

Ingredients:
- 1 oz Mad River Vanilla Rum
- 3/4 oz Dry Curacao
- 3/4 oz Lime Juice
- 1/2 oz Orgeat
- 1/4 oz Simple Syrup (optional depending on sweetness level desired)
- 1 oz Mad River Maple Cask Rum (Float)

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake without ice. Pour contents over crushed ice into a rocks glass. Top with 1 oz of Maple Cask Rum. Garnish with a large sprig of Mint.

Now that you have a greater understanding of the benefits of spirited modifiers, we hope you find something new to try. However, don’t be afraid to get creative! With each cocktail, you can experiment by playing with the modifiers or base spirits to create new flavor combinations. You might just discover your new favorite cocktail that way!

Written by Maeghan Phillips & Edited by Brianne Lucas. Published on February 1, 2022