Love & Rocket

Why choose Four Roses in February for Valentine’s Day? Well, unlike any other brand, the core story of Four Roses Bourbon is rooted in the legendary love story.

It began when Paul Jones Jr., the founder of Four Roses Bourbon, became smitten by the beauty of a Southern belle. It is said that he sent a proposal to her, and she

LOVE & ROCKETS

INGREDIENTS:

40 ml Four Roses Original

15 ml Nixta Corn Liqueur

15 ml Yellow Chartreuse

5 ml Apricot brandy

Absinthe to rinse the glass

METHOD:

1. add all ingredients except the absinthe into a stirring tin full of ice

2. pour absinthe into a chilled coupette, and swirl it around to coat the inside of the glass

3. stir all ingredients until well chilled

4. strain into a chilled coupette, and garnish with a feathered orange twist replied that if her answer were ‘yes’, she would wear a corsage of roses. Paul Jones waited for her and, when she arrived in her beautiful gown, he saw that she was wearing a corsage of four red roses. He later named his Bourbon ‘Four Roses’ as a symbol of his devout passion for her.

The people who work at the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY, and at our warehouse facility in Cox’s Creek, KY, continue the legacy that began with Paul Jones in 1888. Their passion for a highquality bourbon is evident in the smooth, mellow taste that has become the signature of the Four Roses Brand.

About Gergo

Gergo has almost 10 years of experience in the drinks industry – plenty on both the bar and brand side of things. He has worked in some of London’s most beloved industry bars, like The Cocktail Club and Trailer Happiness.

“From the start of my hospitality career,” Gergo explains, “I was interested primarily in two things: the history, and creation of spirits and cocktails; and opportunities for education as, before moving into drinks, I used to be a teacher. After learning as much as I could about the former, I set out to find the latter and started getting involved in brand ambassador work.”

Gergo knew of Spirit Cartel from his time working for the Worthy Park Estate from Jamaica, and when he heard about the opportunity to join Four Roses - a brand he regularly chose as house pour in various bars he managed - he couldn’t get in touch fast enough.

He adds: “Now, not only do I have another excuse to drink my favourite bourbon, but I get to tell others about it too!”

In the period since joining the brand in 2021 as UK Brand Ambassador, Gergo and the team have launched a new expression –Four Roses Small Batch Select, which is the first permanent addition to the core range since 2007. The variant grew a considerable fan base both on and off trade, lending itself to innumerable tasty drinks!

About The Cocktail

Gergo tells us that the inspiration for this drink came from the production process unique to Four Roses – unlike most other mainstream Bourbon distilleries, they use five separate, proprietary yeast varietals, each producing its own unique flavour profile that is utilised in the brand’s flagship Original Kentucky Straight Bourbon. During the fermentation process, these yeasts create both delicate and rich fruity flavours, herbaceous and floral notes, and aromas reminiscent of baking spice and cloves.

The ingredients were chosen to complement the taste of the whiskey, as well as represent and expand upon some of the hints created using these unique fermentation techniques. The rich, sweet, buttery notes of the corn liqueur help further underline the raw material in the bourbon, while its inherent spiciness brings out some of the cinnamon and nutmeg notes. The apricot provides a summery fruitiness, and stone fruit is one of the main tasting impressions people tend to pick up across all Four Roses expressions. The complex, herbaceous, honeyed taste of the Chartreuse and the hints of floral and earthiness in the absinthe serve to further expand upon the key base flavours of the bourbon. Stirring the drink results in a rich, silky texture, and the orange oil compliments the base by accentuating ingredients perfectly.

Being quite a heavy, spirit-forward drink with lots of complex flavours, this cocktail slots in ideally as a ‘bartender-friendly’ offering, although any serious cocktail fan will appreciate it.

Gergo says: “We see that a lot of our bourbon consumers are very much open to discover new profiles when out. This trend is driven by their desire to try cocktails they can’t make at home.

“Although Four Roses Bourbon is ideal for classic cocktails, its versatile nature makes experimenting with new recipes easy!”

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