Tag Archives: gold rush

Reviews

Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

Leave a comment

Frey Ranch prides itself in being a true Estate Distillery. They grow, malt, distill, mature, and bottle all of their Straight Bourbon whiskey on-site in Fallon, Nevada.

Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon, Composition, and Proof

  • Mashbill: 66.6% Yellow Dent Corn, 10% Winter Wheat, 11.4% Rye and 12% Malted-on-site Two-Row Barely
  • Age: 5 Years
  • Proof: 90
  • Parent Company: Independent

Frey Ranch Distillery, located in northern Nevada, stands on a 165-year-old, 1,500-acre family farm. They grow all their grains, malt their barley onsite, and produce and age their whiskey on the same grounds. Their unique combination of continuous and pot still distillation allows for both quantity and quality control. They also own the distinction of being the first licensed distillery in Nevada since prohibition.

History: Founded in 2006 by Colby and Ashley Frey, Frey Ranch Distillery stands on the family’s 2,000-acre farm in Fallon, Nevada. Their roots in Northern Nevada farming span over 150 years, making them a fifth-generation legacy. Frey Ranch is Nevada’s sole distillery that grows 100% of its whiskey grains on-site.

Process: Frey Ranch’s grain-to-glass approach is a labor of love. They cultivate around 2,500 acres, growing corn, wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Every step, from growing the barley to milling, malting, and distilling, occurs on their farm. Their slow-grown wheat, rye, and barley yield over 100,000 9-liter cases of Frey Ranch Whiskey. Quality prevails over quantity, with a majority of their barrels dedicated to their Four Grain Straight Bourbon.

Uniqueness: What truly makes Frey Ranch exceptional is their unwavering commitment to using homegrown grains in every bottle. They experiment with different mash bills and malting processes, leveraging their abundant grain resources. As climate change impacts agriculture, Frey Ranch adapts, ensuring their ingredients never leave their possession. Their sustainable practices and genuine passion for whiskey make them a standout in the industry

Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Review

This bottle is heavy duty. It’s cylindrical, and is capped by a big ole metal stopper. Frey Ranch gets mega points, however, for the amount of info they put on this bottle. They include a detail breakdown of the mashbill, along with a note from Colby Frey, and literally the coordinates of their ranch.

Nose

The nose starts with a heavy hit of malt. Right when you’re getting used to the hit, a strong whiff of spicy rye takes it’s place. Once the rye and malt finish fighting it out for superiority, oak, earth, and citrus settle in. Interestingly enough, the nose has a distinct lack of heat. This makes it a prime taster for people who enjoy bourbons that sit on the more mellow side of the spectrum.

Once you’ve allowed this bottle to open up after around 15 minutes or so, rye and oak takeover, with interesting undertones of hay, fresh-cut grass, and clay.

Score: 8.2/10

Palette and Finish

The palette is very mellow. You get hit with a lot of sweetness up front (which is customary for corn & malted-barley bourbons). At first pass, the sweetness is mostly honey and sweet barley. But as the flavor sets in, you get a hint of the rye that underlies this mashbill. Oak intertwines with the sweet honey flavor, and the entire pour takes on an earthy vibes. Something you’d want to drink on your back porch on a hot summer day… or something that would remind you of your grandpa’s old rusty tractor (in the most nostalgic way possible).

Score: 8.0/10

Value

Per booz.app, this bottle retails for around $49.99-$68.86. That pricepoint is about on-par with something like Old Forester’s Whiskey Row collection.

One downside to this bourbon, however, is that it isn’t easy to find. This is a worthwhile bottle to order (if your state allows delivery), but otherwise your best chance at getting Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey might be at a bar.

You can also buy Frey Ranch straight from their website (here).

Score: 7.5/10

Best Cocktail to Make with Frey Ranch Bourbon

One fun note about Frey Ranch, is that they actually sent a recipe for a Gold Rush Cocktail (which they title the “Ranch Hand”, recipe here).

Of course, your friends at Bourbon Dose immediately capitalized on this opportunity. We spun up a delicious Gold Rush cocktail recipe variation of our own, which you can read below. Frey Ranch was an excellent fit for this cocktail.

Read: Bourbon Dose’s Gold Rush Cocktail Recipe

Bourbon Dose Final Score

You can really taste the love that went into distilling this bourbon. The amount of work it takes to make a pure estate bourbon, including the grains, distilling process, learning, and aging, makes Frey Ranch a unicorn in its own right. They didn’t outsource the grains or the process. They made it all on their ranch. And you can absolutely tell that they take pride in their work, and dumped an extra dose of love into the process of bringing this bourbon to our tables.

Get a bottle of this, and thank the farmers in your life.
Final Verdict: 7.9/10.

Cocktail Recipes

Gold Rush Cocktail Recipe: The Ultimate Whiskey Sour Variation

Leave a comment

The Gold Rush cocktail has become a modern classic in the world of mixology. With its origins at the now-closed Milk & Honey bar in New York City, this cocktail has captured the hearts (and palates) of many cocktail enthusiasts around the world.

The story of the Gold Rush begins with T.J. Siegal, a lifelong restaurant worker who found himself looking for a job. Worried that potential employers might perform a quick Google search of his name before calling him in for an interview, Siegal decided to conduct a search himself to see what would come up. To his surprise, all the results were about a drink – the Gold Rush cocktail.

Intrigued by this discovery, Siegal embarked on a journey to learn more about the cocktail and its origins. He soon found out that the Gold Rush was a simple variation of the classic Whiskey Sour. What set it apart was the use of honey syrup instead of the traditional simple syrup. This gave the drink a unique and delicious twist.

Gold Rush Cocktail Background

The Gold Rush gained its popularity at Milk & Honey, a bar opened in 1999 by Siegal’s childhood friend, Sasha Petraske. With its philosophy of not having a set menu, customers at Milk & Honey could order any drink they desired. This open-ended approach allowed Siegal to experiment with his Bourbon Sour and create the now-famous Gold Rush.

The idea for the Gold Rush came to Siegal while he was sitting at the bar after a long shift, enjoying his usual Bourbon Sour on the rocks. Petraske mentioned a honey syrup he had crafted for another cocktail, and Siegal suggested using it in his Bourbon Sour as a replacement for simple syrup. The result was an instant success. The rich and smooth flavors of the bourbon paired perfectly with the sweetness and depth of the honey syrup, creating a cocktail that was both balanced and satisfying.

As word got around about the Gold Rush, it became a favorite among whiskey enthusiasts. At Milk & Honey, where there was no menu, the Gold Rush was often suggested as a “bartender’s choice.” By early 2002, it had become a staple at the bar and a drink that patrons sought out.

The critical acclaim for this cocktail came not only from its popularity among customers but also from the efforts of Toby Maloney, the first bartender Petraske hired. Maloney played a significant role in developing the signature honey syrup used in the cocktail. Instead of a simple equal-parts mixture, Maloney created a rich syrup consisting of three parts honey to one part water. This approach allowed the honey flavors to shine through and elevate the Gold Rush to new heights.

The Gold Rush Cocktail Today

With its growing popularity, the Gold Rush quickly spread beyond Milk & Honey to other bars and establishments. Petraske himself introduced the cocktail to venues he opened, such as the iconic Little Branch in Manhattan, Dutch Kills in Queens, and The Varnish in Los Angeles. This broad platform allowed this cocktail to gain traction and become a beloved drink in the cocktail scene.

Since its creation, the Gold Rush has seen several variations and adaptations. Some bartenders have incorporated allspice dram or seasonal fruits to add their own twist to the cocktail. But for many purists, the original recipe remains sacred – a testament to the perfect balance of bourbon, lemon juice, and honey syrup.

Today, the Gold Rush continues to enchant cocktail enthusiasts across the globe. It is frequently enjoyed at the cultural successor to Milk & Honey, Attaboy, where it can be prepared using the regal shake technique invented by bartender Theo Lieberman. This technique, specifically designed for drinks featuring honey, enhances the cocktail’s texture and flavor.

The enduring popularity and success of this cocktail can be attributed to its simplicity, balance, and the creative minds behind its creation. It serves as a reminder that sometimes all it takes is a small tweak to a classic recipe to create something extraordinary.

Want to go back to the basics with a fantastic whiskey sour recipe? Check out our classic, no-frills whiskey sour recipe.

Print

Gold Rush Cocktail

Discover the delicious, easy to make, and unique Gold Rush cocktail. A simple take on a whiskey sour, this drink will never disappoint.
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword alcoholic drink, bourbon cocktail, gold rush, whiskey sour
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1
Calories 230kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Cocktail Shaker

Ingredients

  • 2 oz bourbon (or mild rye)
  • 3/4 oz lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz honey syrup 1:1 mixture of honey and lukewarm water
  • 1 Amarena Cherry

Instructions

  • Prep honey syrup by mixing 1 tbsp of honey with 1 tbsp of lukewarm water.
  • Add the bourbon, honey syrup, and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
  • Strain into whiskey glass with ice.