PROOF
TOAST TO THE
Spirited ideas for parties, gifts & more!
Spirited ideas for parties, gifts & more!
Visit over 30 distilleries across the state on the Ohio Distillery Trail.
Artichokes impart a signature vegetal flavor to Cynar.
THE COCKTAIL ARTIST 05
Hear from artist Alison Kraniske on her cocktail masterpiece.
TO THE HOLIDAYS 06
Create your own glassware to share this holiday season.
PLUM PERFECT 08
Delve into the unique history of slivovitz, a European plum brandy.
BRING VACATION TO YOUR HOME 09
Sip on rum distilled from native Hawaiian sugar cane from O’ahu in your living room.
Partake in adults-only fun at these top Ohio attractions.
CELEBRATE THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON 12
Fun recipes for festive holiday cocktails.
What’s your favorite holiday cocktail?
Gift giving is one of my love languages, so the holidays are one of my favorite times of the year. I just love shopping for the perfect gifts for my family and friends. There’s nothing like seeing a big smile when they open their gifts — that’s the spirit of the season after all.
In this issue of Proof, we’ve shared gift ideas for the spirits lovers on your list. Gwynnie Kowalski tells you where to blow glass around Ohio so you can give custom glassware as gifts (or add them to your own cabinet). Want a gift that keeps on giving? Join the club — the ‘Ohana Rum Club, that is. Jennifer Coon shares the details of the Oahu-based Kō Hana Distillers’ club that sends rum to members every quarter. I discovered Kō Hana chatting with one of the club members at Huli Huli Tiki Lounge — where I’m pictured here with one of their flaming drinks. (Hint to my husband, the club membership might look good under our Christmas tree.)
Of course, the ultimate gift is time spent together. We’ve shared spiritscentered events around Ohio. One of my favorites is Cocktails at the Conservatory at the gorgeous Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus.
When Kelsey Miller mentioned that her husband’s family celebrates the holidays with plum brandy, I was intrigued. We share the history of slivovitz so you can incorporate it into your holiday traditions.
And since we featured a fruit-based liquor, we also wrote about one of my favorite vegetable ones. Cynar adds a unique complexity to cocktails and has become one of my go-tos.
— CLAUDIA PLUMLEY, EDITOR
content team
Managing Editor Claudia Plumley Senior Editor Kelsey Miller
Associate Editor Gwynnie Kowalski
Assistant Editor Jennifer Coon
Managing Art Director Stephanie Mauric
Senior Art Director Lindsey Smith
Associate Art Director Sel James
Contributing Art Director Jessa Hendershot
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Hartzler brand eggnog with Maker’s Mark
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No matter where you look, there’s always a place to find a good spirit in Ohio.
Thanks to the Ohio Distillers Guild, you can experiment while winning prizes along the way on the Ohio Distillery Trail.
Check into 39 participating locations on this free mobile trail and sip on award-winning spirits or enjoy special discounts and perks offered at some locations to trail participants. There’s something for everyone on the trail — tours, full restaurants, tastings and more. Here are a few highlights of stops around the state.
Find award-winning bourbon, whiskey and vodka at Everwild Spirits in downtown Sandusky. Nearby, the Toledo Spirits Company crafts a variety of spirits from vodka and whiskey to gin and rum, along with moonshine and other liqueurs. Visit their cocktail bar and kitchen, Bellwether, then take a cocktail class.
If you’re looking for a festive drink, head to Cincinnati Distilling in Milford for their peppermint schnapps crafted with locally made Doscher’s Candies. You can also sample their bourbon,
BY JENNIFER COON
whiskey and more paired with your meal. Fans of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory will love the Snozzberry flavored vodka at Hayner Distilling & Importing Inc. in Troy, which also offers a free shot glass with a non-alcohol purchase for distillery trail participants.
Stop in Logan to find two Southeast Ohio distilleries on the trail. Hocking Hills Moonshine offers multiple moonshines, including flavored moonshines at 45-proof and their highest, Buckeye Thunder, at 151-proof. Try their bourbon aged in white oak barrels. Motherwell Distilling Co. is named after the Motherwell Iron and Steel Company that used to be in the area, and their peach spirit, The Lubricator, is named after one of the company’s inventions. Also among their offerings are vodka, gin, whiskey and bourbon.
One of the many Central Ohio stops is Ashville’s M&O Spirits that offers
award-winning spirits among their whiskey, bourbon and vodka. In 2023, they earned the prestigious honor of being named Craft Distillery of the Year by the John Barleycorn Awards. Go barrel thieving in Columbus at Echo Spirits Distilling Co., during an upgraded version of their distillery tour where you can pull your own sample from a curated selection in the warehouse. They also offer cocktail classes and the opportunity to bottle your own bourbon. Get in the holiday spirit at Towpath Distillery in Akron with their two seasonal liquors. Be sure to try their Winter Gin, a mix of botanicals, and their Holiday Spiced Rum, a molasses-based rum with holiday spices. Medina’s BKO Distillery is the home of Voudoux Vodka, with whiskey, tequila and more in its future. Distillery trail participants can get a free tour of the distillery.
Sorry, but the artichokes used in Cynar don’t count as one of your daily vegetables. Sip up anyway!
STORY BY GWYNNIE KOWALSKI PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE THE BARTENDER
With a deep brown color, a careful balance between sweet and bitter flavors and herbal notes, Cynar (pronounced chee-nar) is an aperitif that is full of surprises. One of which is a key ingredient — artichokes. While the liqueur is not made entirely of fermented artichokes, like potatoes to vodka, the artichoke does impart a signature vegetal flavor.
Not only are artichokes prominently displayed on every bottle, but their influence can also be seen in Cynar’s name. It comes from cynarine, a compound found in artichokes that is believed to have digestive properties — which allows the beverage to double as a digestif.
Cynar is still young compared to some of its aperitif counterparts, like Campari that dates to the 1860s. In 1952, Cynar was invented by Angelo Dalle Molle, a Venetian entrepreneur and philanthropist. Since then, it has expanded its brand to also produce Cynar 70, a higher proof version with the same flavor profile.
If you’re hoping to find out what else this mysterious beverage is made of, you’ll just have to keep hoping. We do know that it consists of 13 different plant and herbal components, but other than artichoke, the rest are a closely guarded secret.
Looking for some creative suggestions to make cocktails with Cynar? Check out Steve the Bartender, who has compiled a plethora of options on his website, stevethebartender.com.au. Here’s one of his recipes. Find more in his book, Steve the Bartender’s Cocktail Guide available on cocktailguide.com.
Popular in Buenos Aires, Argentina, this cocktail riffs off a classic Julep. Cynar’s vegetal, herbaceous notes meld with grapefruit and mint to create a complex drink that you’ll savor.
2 oz. East Side Gin
½ oz. FRESH LEMON JUICE
½ oz. SIMPLE SYRUP
2 oz. GRAPEFRUIT SODA 3-4 MINT LEAVES
Combine all ingredients except the grapefruit soda in a cocktail shaker. Briefly shake with ice, then strain over crushed ice into a double old fashioned glass. Add the grapefruit soda. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and a sprig of mint.
From Steve the Bartender
The best cocktails aren’t always meant to be sipped. Sometimes, they are meant to hang on a wall. Meet Cleveland artist Alison Kraniske, a junior fine arts major at The Ohio State University, who gifted her mother with her gorgeous oil painting of cocktails. It’s a toast that can last forever! Follow her work on Instagram @akraniske_art.
What inspired you?
When choosing a subject, I like to think of things that can carry significance or beauty on their own. In conversation with my dad about how much I loved the appearance of glass, he suggested painting cocktails. My mom has always been the biggest supporter of my painting and would look every day to see the progress I was making.
Everything looks so real. What are the challenges in painting a still life?
The most challenging part of this composition was not the ice cube, but the glass and liquid. For the ice cube, I was able to do a fuzzy blending
technique for the submerged part and used a bit sharper strokes for the part floating above the water. The difficulty of painting glass is that it picks up all of the colors of its surroundings in a very subtle way. The amber liquid was challenging to capture. I used a shocking amount of greens and blues mixed in to get the right saturation on the shadows.
You painted a Vesper martini and a glass of Angel’s Envy Finished Rye. Are they favorites in your household?
I certainly do not know my cocktails, but what is important about these is that they are my mom and dad’s favorites.
Have you ever given the gift of art before?
I think there is a lot of value in handmade objects. I make specific gifts for people in my life that are very important to me. I do sell a lot of work through school and do some small commissions. Even if someone is paying for my work, the love and effort I put into it hopefully translates as a gift.
Like the painting? Shake up the real thing for your glass.
Vesper Martini
3 oz. gin
1 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Lillet Blanc
Lemon peel, for garnish
With expert guidance from glassblowing studios across the state, you can learn all the necessary skills to make toast-ready glasses to give to your loved ones — or to save for yourself.
BY GWYNNIE KOWALSKI
Known as the Glass City for its legacy with glass manufacturing, Toledo may be the first place that comes to mind when you think of glassware. Start by exploring the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion. Not only can you explore a vast collection of glass art, but you can also watch demonstrations performed
by local glass artists. Gather a group of friends and register for a master class to make a piece of glass art. Keep exploring Toledo’s glass scene at Huron Street Studios, where you can emulate the art that you’ve seen by creating your very own tumbler in the heart of downtown Toledo.
The third annual bourbon tasting event, NEAT, returns in 2025! Sign up for our eblast to be the first to know when the date is announced Enjoy sample pours, cocktails, live music, and bourbon education on pairings, cocktails, and history In the meantime, visit Cherry Valley Hotel for one of the best bourbon selections in Columbus
North of Cincinnati, Neusole Glassworks plays a hand in shaping all kinds of glass pieces. Their classes offer everything from blown, flame-worked and fused-glass techniques. Sign up to make a colorful drinking glass or opt to make unique drink stirrers to embellish your favorite cocktails.
To find the Glass Bubble Project, look out for the striking murals and sculptures that decorate its entrance. The Cleveland glassblowing studio has been a community staple for 25-plus years, working to make glassblowing accessible to all experience levels. Join them for a couple’s date night class, where you’ll be able to make a stemless wine glass or beer mug. Make sure to say hi to Morty, the shop chicken, when you visit!
The Columbus Glass Art Center wants you to play with fire. Founded by students and graduates from The Ohio State University glass program, their instructors are experienced and ready to show you how it’s done. Visit their new studio space to blow a custom whiskey tumbler.
For an experience that the entire family will love, visit The Works: Ohio Center for History, Art & Technology in Newark. The interactive museum features more than enough to keep visitors of all ages engaged, with science
labs, exhibits about local history, a planetarium, and glassblowing classes and demonstrations. Take a class to make a tumbler.
The Glass Asylum in Chagrin Falls has countless glass blown projects available to make in their classes. Try your hand at making a classic cup, whiskey tumbler or stemless wine glass. Looking for something different? The studio’s glass artists can also show you how to make a champagne glass, shot glass or beer mug.
Throughout the year, keep an eye out at Akron Glass Works in Akron and the Ohio Glass Museum & Glass Blowing Studio in Lancaster, where you’ll also be able to find the occasional class.
By
1 oz. cream
1 oz. coffee, cold
1 ½ oz. plum brandy
Coffee beans Ice cubes
Fill a shaker with ice cubes. Add all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with coffee beans. From Absolut
2 oz. plum brandy
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup
2-3 fresh blackberries
1 mint sprig
Muddle berries in shaker. Add additional ingredients. Shake and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with mint and berries. From Rhine Hall Distillery
BY JENNIFER COON PHOTOGRAPHY BY SELWYN JAMES
You’ve heard of plum pudding, but have you tried toasting with plum brandy during your holiday celebrations? Slivovitz is made from plums in Eastern Europe and remains a popular spirit in Poland, the Czech Republic and Serbia among other countries in the Balkan Peninsula.
Slivovitz comes from the Proto-Slavic root word for plum, sliv, and was first produced in the 14th or 15th century. The brandy was primarily made by home brewers using the plums that were available in the region, which lends itself to some regional nuances. Now, the spirit is associated with Passover in some Jewish traditions since it’s not a grain-based liquor.
Slivovitz, while not yet a mainstay in the American bar scene, carries cultural significance. In 2022, the spirit was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, joining the ranks of the French baguette and Jamaican reggae music to name a few.
The plum brandy can also be made at home to enjoy during the holidays! With a couple plums, sugar, cinnamon sticks, lemon peels and vodka or grain alcohol, you can fashion your own slivovitz, which requires a resting period of 3.5 months before tasting, to toast to the holiday season and the new year.
Not everyone can afford a Hawaiian vacation. Kō Hana Distillers brings the taste of the islands to your home — perfect for gift giving.
BY JENNIFER COON PHOTOGRAPHY BY KŌ HANA DISTILLERY
Visitors to the distillery on O‘ahu can enjoy rum tastings or flights, along with walking through the sugarcane fields on a tour. While nothing replaces being there, Kō Hana found a way to bring tastings to rum lovers around the country.
The ‘Ohana Rum Club allows you to recreate the Hawaiian tropics in the comfort of your home during the holiday season (or any season). As a member, you receive three of the latest bottles of Kō Hana’s Hawaiian Agricole Rum every quarter, totaling to 12 bottles per year.
Each box contains an unaged (KEA), barrelaged (KOHO) and caskstrength (KILA) rum — all distilled from native Hawaiian sugar cane — for you to taste. The KEA rum is a clear spirit with notes of tropical fruit, fresh cream and butterscotch. Rested in oak barrels, KOHO has flavors of vanilla, honey and warm spices that create a delightful aroma of caramel and hints of cinnamon. KILA is the connoisseur’s ultimate choice that is meant to be enjoyed neat. Bottled at full cask strength, the amber rum’s proof varies and is handwritten on the label.
‘Ohana Rum Club members also get extra benefits with their at-home tropical vacation. Enjoy exclusive discounts, early access to limited releases and free tours and tastings at the distillery.
Have you ever wanted to create your own Night at the Museum adventure or experience adults-only fun at your favorite spots around the state? Explore these notable Ohio attractions with a cocktail in hand.
BY JENNIFER COON
Curious about how cocktails have changed over history? Sip on mixed drinks from decades past during Pleasures of the Cup at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, where guests can sip on a period-themed cocktail while learning about that time period. Want to learn the craft of mixology? Head to Marietta for Major/Riviera’s Mixology Cruise. While you coast along the Ohio River, learn to make three cocktails step by step and sample menu items to pair with your concoctions.
See Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Akron from a new perspective on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Opt for the Cocktails on Rails ride for a two-hour train ride through the park complete with drinks and light appetizers. Take home a special commemorative 6 oz. glass to remember your trip. J&M Cruises Lines in Toledo offers many public cruises — which are all BYOB — to enjoy the sights of the city with a cocktail in hand. On the Glass City Pearl, start your weekend right with your spirit of choice while cruising along the Maumee River on the Friday Night Booze Cruise. Make it a game night on The Sandpiper by bringing your friends and favorite libations for the Trivia Night Cruise.
Take flight at the After Dark event series at the National Museum of the United States Air Force™ near Dayton. Each quarter, these events, usually themed around special exhibits, provide fun activities like dancing with the Ohio Ballroom Dancers and opportunities to explore rare planes and other historic aviation artifacts — all while enjoying cocktails and appetizers. The Cincinnati Art Museum stays open late for Art After Dark on the last Friday of the month. Along with cocktails, enjoy food, live entertainment and exclusive access to special exhibitions. BAM (Bar, Art and Music) Thursdays, weekly from the end of May through September, at the Columbus Museum of Art features local artists, live music, cocktails and more. Take advantage of the extended hours to see the museum’s vast collection and stop by the atrium to shop for local handmade goods. Savor themed food and drinks and listen to live entertainment at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s MIX events. Held monthly, patrons can peruse special exhibits and art around the museum.
Stop to smell the flowers during Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Cocktails at the Conservatory. This monthly event includes food trucks and live entertainment. Check out one of the many museums at the Cincinnati
Museum Center during an Off the Rails event. Held quarterly, Off the Rails lets visitors experience the museum with cocktails, food and themed programming.
Explore one of the best science museums in the country in Columbus at COSI’s COSI After Dark themed nights when guests are encouraged to enjoy the exhibits with drinks and small bites. Bring out your inner child at the Buckeye Imagination Museum in Newark during one of their Nights at the Museum events. Sip on cocktails while you test your luck in the museum’s arcade or play for a prize at one of the games.
Holiday gift giving just got a lot easier. Add a bow to make these bottles gift-ready.
Gervasi’s hand-selected wine barrels lend an elevated character to our Wine Barrel Bourbon, reflecting Gervasi’s winemaking craft. Enjoy notes of sweetness and spice with elegant grain and barrel tones. Purchase your bottle today at Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa.
Bent Ladder’s Winter Crisp Ice Cider is made by pressing apples during a cold snap. The naturally frozen juice is then fermented in a saturated sugar solution for six weeks. The resulting cider is aged on lightly toasted American oak, creating a full-bodied drink featuring flavors of ripe apple, apricot and honey.
Gervasi’s Giava liqueur is an exquisite composition emanating from tailorroasted coffee, delivering rich coffee flavors and aromas augmented by alluring sweetness. Experience the lush rush of Giava. Enjoy in a traditional espresso martini or affogato style over your favorite gelato. Purchase your bottle today at Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa.
Minglewood Distilling Company’s Cinnamon Whisky offers a unique blend of bold cinnamon flavors with a perfect balance of heat and spice, all while maintaining a silky-smooth texture. Bottled at 70 proof, the versatile spirit is impressive whether enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in a creative cocktail.
The Four Grain Bourbon is crafted from non-GMO yellow corn, soft red winter wheat, two-row barley and dark pumpernickel rye. The use of dark pumpernickel rye brings a soft spiciness that complements the baking spice essence of the wheat. The bourbon has a medium finish, featuring smoked and spiced notes.
Made by hand in our facility from start to finish, BKO Distillery’s only goal is to produce high-quality spirits. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by our tasting room and try a sample for yourself and take a tour of our distillery in Medina, Ohio.
1 ½ oz. Smirnoff Peppermint Twist
½ oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur
1 Mini candy cane nutmeg
Fill shaker with ice. Add Smirnoff Peppermint Twist. Top with Baileys Irish Cream. Shake well until chilled. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and a miniature candy cane. From Smirnoff
2 oz. Baileys Chocolate 1 oz. Ketel One Vodka ½ oz. Simple Syrup
Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker. Shake and fine strain into coupe/martini glass. Shaved Belgian chocolate, toasted marshmallow and accent of your choice. From Baileys
1 pint Four Roses Bourbon
1 oz. Jamaican rum
6 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 pint cream
1 pint milk Nutmeg
Beat the yolks and whites of 6 eggs separately. Add 1⁄2 cup of sugar to the yolks while beating. Add 1⁄4 cup of sugar to whites after beating until very stiff. Next, mix egg whites with yolks, and stir in 1 pint of cream and 1 pint of milk. Add 1 pint of bourbon and 1 oz. of rum and stir thoroughly. Yields 5 pints. Serve cold. Garnish with nutmeg. From Four Roses
6 tbsp. salted butter
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
Use a mixer, rolling pin or just your hands to mix all spiced butter ingredients together. Immediately refrigerate or freeze anything you don’t use. When you want a drink, add rum and spiced butter to a heat-safe mug and top it with boiling or very hot water. Stir until incorporated. Top with whipped cream and spices. Makes four drinks. From Echo Spirits Distilling Co.
2 oz. Echo Spirits House Vodka
1/2 oz. heavy cream
1/2 oz. maple syrup
2 tbsp. canned pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
Pour some maple syrup on a small plate. Roll the rim of a martini glass in syrup, then dip it in crushed graham crackers. Set aside. Put all remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into the martini glass. Optionally garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a cinnamon stick. From Echo Spirits Distilling Co.
2 oz. Stranahan’s Blue Peak
6 oz. hot brewed chamomile tea
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 lemon wheel lemon juice
cloves
Brew a 6 oz. cup of chamomile tea and add honey to taste. Pour in Stranahan’s Blue Peak and splash of Angostura bitters. Stir to combine. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Garnish with a clovestudded lemon wheel.
1 oz. Noble Cut Salted Caramel Whiskey
2 oz. chocolate liqueur
2 oz. vodka
Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Add whipped cream over the cocktail. Shave chocolate over the whipped cream.
From Noble Cut Distillery
From Stranahan’s
1 1/2 oz. Breckenridge Bourbon
3/4 oz. vanilla/maple simple syrup*
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 oz. unfiltered apple juice
3 dashes Bitter Truth Spiced
1 mint stalk
Chocolate Bitters
*Vanilla/Maple Simple Syrup
Over medium heat add 8 oz. water, 4 oz. brown sugar, 1 oz. vanilla bean paste and 1 oz. maple syrup. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool and refrigerate.
Shake top 4 ingredients with ice. Strain and serve over ice. Top with bitters. Garnish with a mint bouquet. From Breckenridge Distillery