Dishing with American Whiskey’s Jess Duré
Jess Duré is a woman who knows whiskey. She’s the rockstar whiskey director of midtown party-oasis American Whiskey, which serves up basically a bagillion different kinds of whiskey, along with specialty cocktails with fantastic names like The Side-Eye and Oliver Clothesoff. We chatted with her about upping our whiskey game this spring.
Some people think of whiskey as an intimidating liquor and aren’t quite sure how to mix it into a refreshing cocktail. What’s a go-to cocktail that we could serve our friends this spring and summer?
A Whiskey Smash. It’s a perfectly balanced and refreshing whiskey cocktail shaken with lemon juice, simple syrup, and mint. It’s easy to make large quantities and super economical. One drink would take 2 oz. of bourbon or rye whiskey, ¾ oz. lemon juice, ¾ oz. simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water). Shake that together with fresh mint leaves and dirty pour (that means dump all contents of the shaker) into a rocks glass. Add a dash of Angostura bitters for an extra kick.
If we were to invest in one expensive whiskey for our bar at home, what would you suggest? How about to give as a gift?
The ones I’d suggest are actually reasonably priced, but are highly allocated and not always easy to find. One of the whiskeys I might suggest that you invest some time getting your hands on is the Willett Family Estate 2 year old Rye. Another great one would be one of the new “Old World” expressions being released from WhistlePig. Right now you can get the French sauternes finish, and soon you can get the port and madeira finishes. Limited editions are always cool.
What do you drink at home?
Depends what’s going on. Watching the game? Beer. Cooking dinner? Wine or beer. Catching up with the roommates? Whiskey, rum, or if we like, we make daiquiris or margaritas.
What’s the first thing you notice when you walk into someone else’s party? It’s okay to be a little judgmental.
Whether or not they offer a beverage.
Best hostess gift to give or receive?
Excuse the corniness, but making someone feel genuinely welcome is the best gift of all.
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Check out American Whiskey: www.americanwhiskeynyc.com
