On plush leather barstools, at a warm and well-appointed building, in a city that refuses to flag or fade, folks are arguing about whiskey.
Sparkling drams move from nostril to nostril, and the honeyed tones of cask strength and bottled in bond and high-rye mash bills bend the soft light. Gemstones in the hands of whiskey aficionados and adventurous novices alike. It’s all good-natured barroom banter set against the deep, background thrum of Old Dominick Distillery’s mash cooker and the rattle of a cocktail shaker at the distillery’s craft cocktail bar. An adjacent tasting room hosts more chatter as a tour guide leads a group through a spirit tasting.
Settled along the charming Front Street corridor of Downtown Memphis, a stone’s throw from some of America’s most storied waters, Old Dominick Distillery is nothing if not a gathering space fueled by fine whiskey and second-to-none hospitality. In the haze of the city’s rough and tumble reputation, it takes a different mindset and approach to see Memphis as a haven of opportunity for the food and beverage industry. But the promise of Memphis that Domenico Canale saw in 1866 is the same promise the young distillery operates on today.
As stop number one on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail – and the only whiskey distillery in West Tennessee – Old Dominick takes its role as “the spirit of Memphis” seriously. Its 90.1 proof bourbon, proofed as a nod to the city’s proud 901 area code, is a local darling. Its 2024 release of a 6-year Cask Strength Bourbon has taken the whiskey world by storm, winning over enthusiasts and earning accolades across the landscape. Its 100 proof Bonded Tennessee Whiskey stands as a badge of honor. And, of course, the 85 proof Tennessee Whiskey made history in the Fall of 2022, as the first whiskey to be distilled, aged, and bottled in Memphis since Prohibition.
There’s a sense of ownership when any artisan chooses a home for their craft. The craft of both making and enjoying exceptional whiskey is perfectly at home in a city like Memphis, and Old Dominick spirits thrive for the same reasons Memphians love their city: it’s friendly, creative, and isn’t trying to be anything but itself.
MINT JULEP
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1⁄2 oz Old Dominick Bonded Tennessee Whiskey
- 1⁄2 oz simple syrup
- 8-10 leaves fresh mint
PREPARATION
- Muddle mint leaves and simple syrup in a julep cup or double old-fashioned glass until fragrant
- Fill the glass with crushed ice, pour in bourbon, and stir until frosty
- Top with more crushed ice, garnish with a sprig of fresh mint, and serve immediately
HOT HONEY PEACH BOURBON SMASH
INGREDIENTS
- 3⁄4 oz hot honey
- 1⁄2 oz peach, chopped
- 1⁄2 oz lemon juice
- 2 oz Old Dominick Cask Strength Bourbon
- Splash of ginger beer
PREPARATION
- Add the peaches and honey to a cocktail shaker and muddle until soft
- Add the bourbon, lemon juice, and ice, and shake until cold
- Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice and top with a splash of ginger beer
- Garnish with fresh peach slices and a sprig of mint
PINEAPPLE WHISKEY SOUR
INGREDIENTS
- 4 oz pineapple juice
- 2 oz Old Dominick Bourbon Whiskey
- 1 ⁄2 oz fresh lemon juice
- Pineapple slice and cherry for garnish
PREPARATION
- Combine whiskey, pineapple juice, and lemon juice in a shaker
- Add ice to the shaker and shake until well-chilled
- Strain the mixture into a glass filled with ice, and garnish with a pineapple slice and a cherry
BLACKBERRY BOURBON LEMONADE
INGREDIENTS
- Blackberries
- 3 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz fresh simple syrup
- 2 oz Old Dominick Tennessee Whiskey
- 2 Dashes of Bitters
PREPARATION
- Muddle blackberries, a lemon slice, and maple syrup in a cocktail shaker, then fill it halfway with ice cubes, add lemon juice, bourbon, and 2 dashes of bitters
- Aeal the shaker, and shake well for about a minute
- Strain the mixture if desired to remove any seeds
- Serve it over ice in a glass, garnished with a slightly burned lemon slice, a blackberry, and a small piece of basil for an extra fancy touch