Month: October 2022

As amazing as the holiday season can be, there is also a bit of stress involved. I know in my home we hold on tight to the traditions we had as children, sometimes those traditions could use a bit of an update….. That’s where we come in. Spring House has perfected a way to update your Grandma’s rum cake recipe with our St. Malachi Rum. We’ve simplified it to make everything as painless as possible, while still packed with flavor and of course rum!

St. Malachi Rum Cake:

Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKE:

• 1 box any brand yellow cake mix
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup St. Malachi Rum
• sprinkle brown sugar

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup St. Malachi Rum

Let’s Bake:

FOR THE CAKE:

• Preheat oven to 325 F
• Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Sprinkle brown sugar across the bottom of your pan.
• Mix all cake ingredients together. Pour batter into pan over top of your brown sugar. Smooth the top so batter is even. Bake for 1 hour

FOR THE GLAZE:

• When the cake has about 10 minutes left in the oven, it’s time to make the glaze. Melt butter in a saucepan, then stir in water and sugar. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, then pour in St. Malachi Rum. Stir until blended and reheat for 30 seconds.
• Remove cake from oven.
• Drizzle 1/3 of the glaze on the bottom (top) of the cake. Allow drizzle to sit for five minutes.
• Flip the cake over onto a cake dish. With a toothpick prick the surface of the cake to make small holes throughout the top.Gently drizzle the rest of your St. Malachi Rum glaze all over the top of the cake.  Let cool and enjoy!

Hey there!

This rainy weather has me feeling pretty blah, so I decided to grab my bottle of 17 Hands and have some fun. I ran to the Christmas tree and snagged one of the candy canes and a peppermint infused vodka came to life! This martini is so simple and packs such a festive flavor it is an absolute must!

I really like peppermint so I made sure to pack some peppermint punch into my martini by letting it soak awhile, but the beautiful thing about this infusion is how easily you can tailor it to fit your taste! Pour some of that 17 Hands vodka into your chilled martini glass and drop in a piece of the candy cane. Let it soak (or be impatient like I was and stir that baby) until the pink starts to shine through. My martini was a deep pink by the time I loved the flavor, but even before that it had a gentle peppermint notes.

This is a total winner for holiday parties, and it’s so simple you can make it and forget about it while you do all the other party prep.

Enjoy this festive fun martini, and as always drink responsibly.

This age old debate is about to be put to rest.

You may have noticed that this spirit has two different spellings. Some whisk(e)ys are spelled with that extra letter while others are not…… are you ready to learn the reason why?!

There is a difference between the two. No, not just in spelling but in where they are made. American and Irish distillers will typically spell whiskey with the e while Canada, Scottland, and Japan do not. It has been this way for so long that many believe that it goes all the way back to when the Irish first began making whiskey. They wanted a way to differentiate themselves and added the e, it has since stuck.

There is also a difference in their distillation proess, which may be surprising to hear until you learn what that difference does to the product. Whisky is typically distilled twice, while whiskey is typically distilled three times. The triple distillation is what give that beautiful smoothness. The type of barley that is used differs as well.  whiskey tends to be made from unmalted barley and other grains while whisky usually is made with malted barley and other grains. This difference creates quite a large difference in flavor profiles.

We’ve discussed the basics. How do you remember which is which when you are out and want to try something new? That’s easy…..

The simple rule of thumb is that if there is an “e” in the country there is an “e” in whisk(e)y.

Remember to drink all whisk(e)y responsibly, and if you can drink local!

Many people are surprised when I tell them there are health benefits to drinking bourbon. As if we needed another reason to drink bourbon, haha but since it’s bourbon season let’s take a look at how it can actually have some health benefits for you!

• WEIGHT LOSS- yup, you read that right. If you are gonna pour yourself a drink it might as well be bourbon! With the low sugar content, total lack of carbs, and low calorie count it is surprisingly one of the best ways to enjoy alcohol if you dont want to pack on the lbs.
• HELPS BLOOD SUGAR- A study done at Harvard found that because of the aging proccess of bourbon in wooden barrels, it produces ellagic acid which helps to regulate your insulin levels and the levels of glucose your liver releases.
• DEMENTIA – A study done in 2003 from the Nation Institute of Health reported that adults that consumed 1-6 glasses of whiskey a week showed a lower risk of dementia.
• HEART DISEASE – There are many studies that show that drinking whiskey can significantly lower the risk of heart disease.
• CURE FOR COLDS – Bourbon dilates the blood vessels acting as a great decongestant, while the rest of the ingredients help alleviate cold symptoms.
• CANCER – In  the same way that bourbon helps to regulate blood sugar it helps to prevent cancer. In fact it has a higher rate of helping to prevent cancer than wine!
• HANGOVERS – Although we want everyone to drink responsibly it has been proven that people who over indulge in bourbon tend to recover from a hangover more quickly.
• REDUCES STRESS – Bourbon has been proven to calm down nerves slowing down activity, thus reducing stress.
• HELPS CHOLESTEROL – Bourbon contains high levels of polyphenols. Which have been shown to reduce bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol.
• AIDS IN DIGESTION – Bourbon is an appetite suppressant due to the high alcohol content, however it also helps in digestion post meal and aids to prevent indigestion.

So this bourbon season enjoy a nice glass of Doc Windle on the rocks… Healthy choices just became a lot more fun!

Winter weather came in with fury this year, this 23* morning is not my favorite. However, a warm cider and bourbon sure does sound pretty tasty. The thing I love most about Doc Windle Bourbon is how warm and cozy it makes me at the end of the night. One sip and my belly is warm and toasty… ok ok now I’m in the mood for one! Hold on one second while I make some warm and cozy goodness.

5 minutes later….

I’m back! Now as I sip this wonderful Doc Cider let’s chat about Bourbon in all her glory!

Working with Spring House I’ve had the oppurtunity to learn so many things about the behind the scenes, and fun facts that I never would’ve known had I not been with the distillery. Let’s see if you learn anything new today with this fun fact list!

• Charred-Oak literally means the barrels are set on fire! There are different levels of char that barrels can have and that is extremely important for how the final product of the bourbon will ultimately taste.
• The angels get a share. As bourbon ages in the barrel a % is lost due to evaporation. It is called the angels share. The climate you are in will affect the amount of the angel share lost during the aging process.
• Bourbon does not have to be distiled in Kentucky. It must only be made here in the US.
• 70% of bourbon drinkers are male, come on ladies!
• 13% of Americans regularly drink bourbon.
• Bourbon is the most regulated spirits production process in the world!
• The color of bourbon is developed during the aging process.
• Lastly, it’s time to get a glass and enjoy some Doc Windle.

Did you learn something new today? If not do you have your glass of Doc in your hand? No…. well we can fix that. Place your order today 😊

As always drink responsibly, and enjoy!

Jenn

Good morning friend!

Frequently I am asked what is the difference between whiskey and bourbon, so today I thought I would talk about the differences with you. So pour yourself a nice old fashioned and lets chat.

First lets start with the basics…. ALL bourbon is whiskey, not all whiskey is bourbon.

Whiskey is a spirit that is made with fermented grains (rye, corn, wheat, and barley). Bourbon is one of the types of whiskey, however there are some more rules when it comesto the process of making the bourbon that allow it to be classified as that. To be a bourbon the whiskey must be made from at least 51% corn, be at least 80 proof, be made in the US, and be aged in a NEW charred American whiteoak barrel. Bourbons are generally smoother then whiskey, and the majority of the time tends to be a bit sweeter then whiskey due to the high amount of corn used to make it.

Straight Bourbon is a style of bourbon that has even stricter standards that must be followed. A straight bourbon has to be aged for at least two years, and if itisless then four years the bottle must say so.

FUN FACT: Since the US requires the standard of new American white oak barrels for our bourbon barrels. They can only be used once, so many distilleries will sell their used barrels overseas to other countries that will then use the barrels for their spirits.

Fall hit us hard here in PA over the past few days. Our warm weather disappeared practically overnight and the chilly temps have hit! For us that means warm hot ciders on the porch, campfires, and cozy blankets! We love sharing a boozy cider with our friends, and in todays case we are using Doc Windle Bourbon to give our ciders some pizazz!

Boozy Doc Cider:

11/2 oz Doc Windle Bourbon ( or pour with your heart, we dont judge here)

2 tsp local honey

1/2 cup hot apple cider

cinnamon stick

The details:

Heat your cider on the stove, I like to do it in a pot. Add your honey, and stir! When everything is mixed and warmed up pour that cider into your mug! Top with Doc Windle bourbon, and stir with a cinnamon stick! Drop the cinnamon stick in your mug, itll soak up all the boozy goodness and flavor your cider! Enjoy!

Hey there friend!

Have you ever seen someone bring their own glassware to a bar, or tasting? I’m sure if you have one of your first thoughts may have been something along the lines of what a snot! Trust me I was there once too, I would have absolutely thought they were being a little rediculous. However, there is actually science behind the glassware you use and how your spirits taste!

Let’s dive in shall we?!

Essentially the different types of glassware that we have available now, have evolved to make our spirits and cocktails taste better. The glassware is desiged to accentuate the aroma, colors, flavors, and hold the temperature of the cocktail. Many times they also assist the bartender in proper serving sizes.

For example, the well known martini glass. Because martinis typically do not contain ice, these glasses provide a long stem so the warmth of your hand doesnt warm the cocktail.

You may have also noticed that bars almost always serve their cocktails in glass and not plastic, this is important as well! The alcohol can act as a solvent on the plastic, especially when left to sit for a period of time or if it has a high alcohol conent. It then creates a “plasticy” flavor to the drink changing the overall taste, which needless to say is not the goal.

Ok, we’ve gone over drinking from different glassware, now let’s talk about washing it! Did you know that when washing a scotch (american single malt) glass you do not want to use soap or a brush to clean the glass? The best way to clean it is warm water and gently rubbing your fingers around the inside of the glass, before any residue has been left behind and dried. There is a chance, although small, that when washing a glass with soap that some of the soap residue will stay in the glass. The next time scotch is poured into that glass the soap will bind to the scotch’s aroma and alter both the smell and flavor. Not a risk I suggest taking.

I’ve created a little cheat sheet about some of the more common glassware you may see below.

Wine glass– There are two basic types of wine glasses, the red and the white. While both glasses will most likely have  astem the red wine glass with have a more round bowl shape to better aerate the wine while the white wine glass willhave a smaller opening so that the wine doesnt over aerate and oxidize to fast.

Flutes– These glasses are tall and thin to help keep those bubbles going for ya. Less surface area helps them to last longer.

Highball– These are your typical bar glass, they are nice and tall to make that drink look large! They are mostly used for drinks that do not contain as much alcohol as mixers.

Old Fashioned– These glasses are more likely to be used in a cocktail with more alcohol content. They also are frequently used if you are muddling, or just ordering a neat or on the rocks.

Glencairn– These are a favorite for me. These nosing glasses are perfectly made for tasting whiskey, and have been created to get the most flavor possible out of every sip.

Snifter- Cradle this baby in your hand as you swirl your spirit. The large bowl shape allows for a perfect gentle swirl and the wide top allows for the aroma to really escape the glass so you get a larger wiff of the flavor profile as you sip.

Now of course there are alot more options out there for you, we chose to share some of the more common glassware that you will see.

Hey there friend!

Nice to see you again! It’s been awhile since we’ve had a moment to chat, so we thought this would be the perfect oppurtunity to say hi, see how everyone is doing, and let you know what’s been going on in our world! You may already know that we have been busy creating a variety of new products. It has been wonderful to see how much everyone is loving them! We have definetly expanded our brand quite a bit, and in the process we have been making some in house changes too! We are so excited to let you know that we are offering private tastings at two locations now! We have introduced bourbon, rum, and vodka to the Spring House family, and there are even more things on the way!

Let’s take a minute to chat about some of these new products!

Filmore Rides Select- Our select is a five year aged whiskey that is smooth as butter! The sweet molasses taste will have your tastebuds watering and wanting more! It is the perfect on the rocks whiskey, smooth and well rounded with a wonderful rich flavor.

Doc Windle Bourbon- Our bourbon is amazing if I do say so myself, and I know that you may think I’m biast. Sure, maybe a tad, but this bourbon can hold its own! With its deep cherrywood flavors and subtle hints of vanilla this bourbon is truly one of a kind.

St Malachi Rum- Be sure to read the bio of our rum before purchasing, because there is a great story behind it! We’ll give you the summery here. We have partnered with a local church, yup you guessed it St. Malachi, to creat a rum that really honors their history. With their love and support we will be donating a portion of the proceeds from each rum bottle bak to the church!

17 Hands Vodka- Meet our newest addition to the Spring House family! This vodka is smooth, earthy, and perfectly well rounded. Blending perfectly into a wide variety of cocktails, or standing out on its own, 17 hands is a showstopper! We like to think of it as having a martini without having to mix a thing!

This is just the start of our new family members! There will be more additions throughout the end of the year, and early next year as well! Please comment and let us know what you would be interested in seeing next!

The word whiskey translates to ” water of life.” In many ways, our home believes that statement to be true. On its own whiskey has the power to create these incredible memories, however, if you can learn how to enhance its pure essence you can craft beautiful moments that may last a lifetime. I learned to respect whiskey early on and have loved it ever since. My first sip with my grandfather on the back of his boat while fishing in the summer heat, with a simple whiskey and coke is something I’ll never forget. The smell of that drink even now years later brings me back to the simplicity of that day. Since then I’ve learned to treasure all of the details that whiskey has to offer, and I’ve crafted recipes both for the beginner as well as the expert and everyone in between.

In this book you will find

• The basic tools to help you craft your own cocktails
• Popular classic whiskey cocktails
• Exclusive cocktails handcrafted for this book
• The history and stories behind the drinks

Find the book on Amazon for $9.99! All drinks are made to work with our spirits specifically!