The Single Source Cocktail
TJ Shirk • August 3, 2021
It’s not common on cocktail menus or in home bars, some distillers don’t even make it a possibility. A cocktail of one origin. A true farm-to-table, grain-to-glass experience. I’m talking about a cocktail made with ingredients from one single producer*.
Many craft distillers understand the vast landscape of the cocktail world. Most offer a range of products to stock your bar. From gins to vodkas, whisk(e)ys and even bitters. For a single source cocktail, you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for all the ingredients. For me, Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers from Beamsville Ontario is truly a one-stop-shop.
Since 2012, Dillon’s has been crafting high quality bitters and spirits. In more recent years they have expanded to cover nearly every shelf of the bar with 100% Ontario rye whisky, gin, vodka, brandy, absinthe, vermouth, rum and schnapps. They also make a line of cocktail syrups and pre-mixed cocktails. All using premium Niagara ingredients! Since their beginning they knew the significance of a single source cocktail. “There was a dream, a really big dream - to build a distillery that would eventually create our very own Manhattan cocktail from our very own ingredients”. That quote was taken from their website www.dillons.ca. In this article I will be showcasing a single source Manhattan from Dillon’s.
For a Manhattan, I use what I feel is the proper 2-1-2 recipe. 212 being the telephone area code of Manhattan and a perfect ratio for ingredients. This cocktail begins in a mixing glass. Start with 2 dashes of Dillon's bitters, of your choosing. I’m using Batch #10 DSB Aromatic Bitters. Dillon’s take on a classic. Next add 1 ounce of Dillon’s Vermouth. You will then add 2 ounces of Dillon’s Three Oaks Rye Whisky. I’m pouring from bottle 3095 of Batch #13. (My love for this whisky goes back to bottle 3639 from Batch #1!) Add ice to the mixing glass and stir 30 seconds to one minute to reach the desired dilution. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cocktail cherry. Enjoy!
The magic of single source cocktails doesn’t end with the Manhattan. Dillon’s wide range of products allows for all sorts of creativity. Try a Negroni with one of their delicious gins, vermouth and their recently introduced Black Walnut Amaro or a classic Sazerac with rye, absinthe and bitters. Substituting Peychaud’s bitters for Dillon’s Wormwood bitters.
Go out and explore your local distillers and see what creations you can make using only their products. The shared craftsmanship and processes of these ingredients make for a lovely unified flavour in the glass. A new twist on an old favourite cocktail.
You can check out Dillon’s in person at their distillery at 4833 Tufford Road in Beamsville, or online at www.dillons.ca. They offer Canada-wide shipping on orders.
The Dillon’s Manhattan
2 dashes of Dillon’s DSB Aromatic Bitters
1 oz Dillon’s Vermouth
2 oz Dillon’s Three Oaks Rye Whisky
Stir over ice in a mixing glass. Strain and serve into chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
*Exceptions for garnish.
** Oenzym is in no way affiliated with Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers. All products were purchased for the purpose of this article.