MY PERFECT 3-PACK: MICHELLE

Our holiday gift packs were a hit last year, so we've brought them back and made them completely customizable. You can mix and match 375ml-bottles of our spirits to create the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Need some suggestions? We got you. This holiday season, we'll be bringing you this series of Cardinal Spirits staff members' "perfect 3-packs."

Today, server Michelle Gottschlich shares her perfect 3-pack: 

Who — any person, living, dead, fictional or famous — would you gift this 3-pack to?
My great grandmother, Vanetta

What cocktail would you make using at least one of these spirits?
A milk punch using the Tiki Rum and Songbird Coffee Liqueur. (Use our Milk Punch recipe, but substitute Coffee Liqueur for Nocino). 

What holiday movie would you watch while sipping said cocktail?
Gremlins (IMDB page linked. Christmas movie? Judge for yourself.)

(Editor's note: Michelle's Christmas movie selection caused quite the debate at the distillery over what constitutes a "Christmas" film. Thoughts?)

MY PERFECT 3-PACK: ALYVIA

Our holiday gift packs were a hit last year, so we've brought them back and make them completely customizable. You can mix and match 375ml-bottles of our spirits and make the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Need some suggestions? We got you. This holiday season, we'll be bringing you this series of Cardinal Spirits staff members' "perfect 3-packs." Follow along for some unique mix-ups and learn a little more about our spirited staff.

First off... Alyvia CAIN

Meet Alyvia Cain, Cardinal Spirits bartender-extraordinaire. Here's how she would use her perfect 3-pack:

Who — any person, living, dead, fictional or famous — would you gift this 3-pack to?
First Hollywood crush, either John Cusack or Keanu Reeves.

What cocktail would you make using at least one of these spirits?
A Bramble Russian, using 1.5 ounces of Songbird Coffee Liqueur, 1.5 ounces of Bramble, and 1 ounce of half and half. (Modify our classic White Russian recipe.)

What holiday movie would you watch while sipping said cocktail?
Love Actually, or the The Grinch with Jim Carrey.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM CARDINAL SPIRITS! 

Behind the Scenes at Big Red Liquors: 9 Insider Tips

Big Red Liquors is an institution in Bloomington — and the rest of central Indiana, for that matter. Founded in 1972 by Mark McAlister in a small storefront off North College Avenue, it’s grown to include a enterprise of almost 60 stores, from its Bloomington epicenter to Indianapolis and Terre Haute, and smaller towns like Bedford and French Lick.

Big Red was the first retailer to order our spirits when we opened in February 2015, so you could say we're huge fans. In addition to selling our spirits, they've helped make them — we distilled a custom whiskey and gin with Big Red that is sold exclusively at their stores along with our other spirits. 

Their flagship store in downtown Bloomington, a veritable warehouse of beer, wine, and spirits, sits just south of the original location on one of city's main drags, College Avenue. The store is home to James Connor, one of the main wine managers who holds a C.S.W. and C.S.S. (certifications in both wine and spirits).

We caught up with James recently to get a behind-the-scenes look at Big Red, and he shared 9 tips about the flagship location, as well as the whole brand.

So where did the name Big Red come from, anyway?

James says there’s lots of theories, but the one that has the most legs is pretty simple: Mark has a flash of red hair on his head, and that was that. Big Red stuck.

The most expensive spirit in the store? It’s tres chic.

James immediately knows this when I ask. “Samalens 1900 Armagnac,” he rattles off like it’s business as usual. (It’s not—it’s $3,300 per bottle!) “It’s been here longer than I have,” he says, laughing. “We’ve got all sorts of ridiculous things in this store.” Since the flagship is the biggest (and best, according to him), he feels like they have to have special offerings like the Samalens.

The most overlooked and underrated spirit in the bunch? It’s not what you think.

Surprise: It’s brandy! Everyone’s on the bourbon craze, James explains, but brandy is a really flavorful, affordable alternative.

They’ve got a VIP club, and you’re invited. (There’s Pappy involved.)

Big Red’s VIP program is still a pretty good secret among locals. It’s a reward program the company started close to 4 years ago, where customers earn points on dollars spent on anything in the store. The points get you everything from a free bag of ice to beer glasses and, as they add up, the rewards get more enticing: invites to special events and trips and even your own beverage concierge. But it’s not just points—there are a few weekly emails that go around about releases of small batch or rare beer, wine and spirits. Any given week you’re getting about 3 of these, including opportunities to buy, say, coveted Pappy Van Winkle or very rare sour beers from Goose Island that won't ever hit the sales floor. 

Weekends aren’t always the busiest days.

While you might think that Saturday mornings before a football game are crazy (and they are! They are.), there are other weekdays that garner a lot of activity as well. Thursdays are also extra bustling, according to James—but there are less costumes, then.

(It might not come as a surprise that James estimates that over half of Bloomington’s clientele comes from the city’s renowned university, Indiana University.)

The Bloomington store on East 3rd Street has a secret wine cellar.

Ok, it’s not so secret, it’s there in plain sight, but most people breeze right past the staircase to it—which means you usually have the wine room all to yourself to browse.

There are free public tastings 3 days a week.

You can drop by the Bloomington flagship for tastings 3 times a week. Thursdays are beer nights, and on Fridays and Saturdays there are wine flights to try. (On Saturday, that’s usually going all day.) James emphasized Big Red’s dedication to education among not only consumers, but staff too. It’s really important to them that they have an informed staff who can knowledgeably recommend the right selection for their customers.

Cardinal Spirits pours samples often at Big Red stores — this one is coming up at the downtown Bloomington location, with bottle discounts that day, too.

They really, really support local beer, wine, and spirits.

Not only does Big Red stock Cardinal Spirits (more on that later), it carries a lot of locally made booze. From swaths of the regional beer that Indiana and its surrounding states produce, to local wine from Oliver Winery down the road, to other nearby spirit makers like Starlight, they’re committed to bringing in high-quality, locally-made products — and the biggest selection of them.

They were one of the first to carry Cardinal Spirits! (And they’ve even made 2 exclusive batches with us.)

Cardinal Spirits is the first distillery in Bloomington, so, according to James, it was a natural fit to stock at the store. We opened our doors in February 2015, and James called it a “huge eye opener.” Big Red definitely had their sights on us while we were ramping up to opening, he explained, so they were thrilled when they finally got to taste the products, which met their high quality standards. Customers in the store love that it’s local, craft, and that the products really live up to the hype. It’s also a boon that some of the spirits are made in interesting styles, like the vodka, which is grape-based. It’s a great opportunity to educate customers, he said, about different approaches to spirits.

Big Red’s support of Cardinal has also been reciprocated—we’ve opened our doors to their spirit-loving VIPs to make a custom whiskey. And, Big Red has made a custom American Gin with us. (Both are available at Big Red locations.)

His advice for aspiring craft spirit makers trying to get a foot in the door? James says to not give up, and shared that “we’re looking for quality above all, not a fancy package.”

Don't miss our take-over of the Big Red store in downtown Bloomington on Saturday, Dec. 10. Raffles, spirit samples, cocktail demonstrations on the hour, giveaways, high fives, and more! And... a killer discount on bottles for one day only...

Meet: Black Bear Bierschnaps

Black Bear Bierschnaps — our collaboration with Upland Brewing — is here,
in all its smooth, malty, chocolatey glory.

If you've never heard of bierschnaps, you're not alone. This stuff is deliciously rare in the US. If you're curious about it, you've come to the right place. Right this way to the dark side...

First things first: Black Bear Bierschnaps (750ml, $28) is available starting today, Friday, Oct. 28, at Cardinal Spirits — and, in mid-November, it will available to buy alongside Teddy Bear Kisses stout at Big Red Liquor stores.

Here's everything else you need to know about Black Bear Bierschnaps:

WHAT IS IT?

Black Bear Bierschnaps is a distilled stout — a collaboration with Upland Brewing Co. in Bloomington. It's is made with Upland’s Teddy Bear Kisses stout, which we brewed together with Upland brewers, then fermented and distilled on site at Cardinal Spirits.

WHAT IS BIERSCHNAPS, ANYWAY?

Bierschnaps is a German spirit that is made from beer which is brewed and fermented, then distilled to a stronger strength and more intense flavor. We used Teddy Bear Kisses, Upland’s award-winning Russian imperial stout aged on cacao nibs. It is a big, bold beer that is velvety, complex and roasty, and that profile is gloriously intensified in Black Bear Bierschnaps.  

HOW DID WE MAKE IT, EXACTLY?

Upland and Cardinal brewed a special batch of Teddy Bear Kisses seasonal stout, which was then fermented and distilled on-site at Cardinal Spirits.

Before fermentation, a bit of the wort was set aside and boiled down to a rich, dark-roasted malt syrup. Finally, the wort syrup, distilled stout, and original stout were blended together to bring you... drumroll please... BIERSCHNAPS.

The base of Black Bear Bierschnaps is Teddy Bear Kisses, Upland’s award-winning Russian imperial stout aged on cacao nibs. It is a big, bold beer that is velvety, complex and roasty, and that profile is gloriously intensified in Black Bear Bierschnaps.  

HOW TO DRINK IT?

Bierschnaps is traditionally enjoyed on its own and ice cold, either as a shot or sipped as a digestif. Black Bear Bierschnaps is a “bartenders’ handshake” type of spirit like Fernet or Malört — a shot that bartenders pour for each other. It’s also great alongside a beer, in a spiked root beer float or mixed into cocktails.

At the distillery, we'll serve it as a shot and you get to keep the glass. We'll also have two specialty cocktails: Paddington Flip, with Tiki Rum, Bierschnaps, raspberry and egg white; and Blood, Sweat & Biers, with Bierschnaps, grapefruit, lemon, cassis and orgeat.

Bierschnaps is delicious as it is intriguing, but don't just take our word for it. Come in and see for yourself.

Fall cocktail recipes

MILK PUNCH

Nocino / Tiki Rum / cream / apple preserves

SAGE GIMLET

Terra Gin / sage / lime

YELLOW JACKET

Standard Dry Gin / lemon / cinnamon / honey

SPICE ISLAND

Tiki Rum / apple / raisin / brown sugar / cinnamon / nutmeg

AUTUMN SMOKE

Tiki Rum / pear / lemon / lapsang souchong tea / cinnamon bitters

WALNUT MANHATTAN

Nocino / White Oak Whiskey / sweet vermouth / bitters

SLOW HAND

Songbird Coffee Liqueur / Vodka / cocoa / cayenne

BERRY BRAMBLER

Songbird Coffee Liqueur / Bramble / orange bitters

HOT TODDY

Whiskey / honey / lemon / orange-spiced black tea

Four fun things happening at the distillery

ONE: How does our Black Raspberry Bramble get its incredible, vibrant flavor? We toss satchels of whole black raspberries and hibiscus flowers into our vodka and let them steep. We started on the latest batch last week.

TWO: We juice a TON of citrus around here for cocktails. Emily crushes it on Mondays. Fresh juices make the best cocktails, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

THREE: Our head distiller Justin Hughey filtered a fresh batch of our Songbird Coffee Liqueur. We use freshly-roasted coffee from our friends and neighbors at Hopscotch Coffee to make this liqueur, never any flavoring extracts or coloring. (Speaking of our coffee liqueur, did you catch it on Uncrate?) 

FOUR: We released our first Single Barrel Bourbon on Friday, and bottles sold out in three hours! Wow, that was fast. These early birds lined up before we opened to make absolutely sure they got a bottle. Want to know what spirit we'll release next, and when? Sign up for our mailing list - we reveal it all in our weekly newsletter. 

Our first Bourbon: Everything you need to know

Here's our first bourbon, and the barrel it came from. The last time they'll be together.
Sad for them, good for you.

Our first ever Single Barrel Bourbon will be released at noon on Friday, Oct. 14, at the distillery only.

We have a limited quantity, and bottles will go quickly. If we were you, we'd line up at our door before we open at noon. 

The price is $42 for a 375ml bottle, and sales are limited to 1 per person.

It's Cardinal Spirits' first bourbon, but also Bloomington's first bourbon — hurray! — and we're proud of that. It is made with 4 grains sourced from Indiana farmers: corn and wheat from Glick in Columbus, and barley and rye from Sugar Creek Malt Co. in Lebanon. It was aged in a 20-gallon new American oak barrel.

This bourbon is distinctly Indiana. We thought you might have some questions about it....

What's the mash bill?

60% corn and 20% percent wheat, both sourced from Glick in Columbus, and 10% barley and 10% rye, both sourced from Sugar Creek Malt Co in Lebanon. It's considered a high-rye bourbon because it has more than 5% rye. 

How long did the bourbon age?

About a year and two months. The important thing to note is that we do not have any bourbon that is older than our distillery. Some distilleries choose to buy bourbon from elsewhere and simply bottle it, and that's how they get away with selling a spirit that's older than they are. 

But we don't buy any of our spirits. We make them. Everything is fermented, mashed, distilled and bottled entirely on site at Cardinal Spirits.

But, wait: Doesn't bourbon have to be aged for at least two years?

No. Lots of folks have a misconception about a 2-year rule when it comes to bourbon. That rule only comes into play if you plan to call the spirit "straight bourbon."

These are the federal rules for making bourbon: It must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn, it must be aged charred new oak containers, it must be distilled to no more than 160 proof, it must be barreled at no more than 125 proof, and it must be bottled at 80 proof or higher. See, no mention of a 2-year rule.

Can bourbon be made outside of Kentucky?

Yes, yes it can! It's true that a lot of bourbon is made in Kentucky, but bourbon can be made anywhere.

Indiana has everything Kentucky has to make excellent bourbon: High-quality grains, limestone-filtered water, good, hard woods for making barrels and cooperages that manufacture them. And, of course, craft distilleries like ours!

What does this bourbon it taste like?

You'll notice a pleasant corn sweetness first, then a nice, rich mouthfeel, and a peppery finish. Some bourbons just taste like corn; ours is more interesting and finishes strong.

Because of the high-quality mash bill, it stands up against any big-name bourbon. 

Why is the proof so high?

Our Single Barrel Bourbon is 110 proof, down from 123.2 at barrel proof. We intentionally kept a high proof to give you control of how you drink it. It also means that this 375ml bottle will go far. 

Add a bit of water at a time to a neat pour to suit your taste.

Many distilleries want to get their bourbon into the hands of as many consumers as possible, so to fill more bottles, they add more water. That lowers the proof, but it also washes out the flavors we so enjoy in bourbon. 

The bottom line is: You can always add water, but you can't take it away. This is your bottle, and we think you should be in control.

When will you release more barrels?

We don't have a schedule. Our head distiller Justin Hughey will keep checking in with them. He knows good bourbon when he tastes it, and he'll wait for that taste.

What's interesting is that we filled 12 barrels from the same cooperage with the same mash bill at the same time. And we've got 12 different-tasting bourbons. Barrel #9 is wonderful right now, and the others will be ready on their own time.

How do you recommend drinking it?

It's nice on it's own. So you can drink it neat, but it's your bottle - drink it how you want. We recommend that you try the whiskey first, then add a few drops of water and see how it changes. We find that a bit of water opens up even more subtle flavors, but it's all about finding what you enjoy most.

Tom Collins cocktail recipe

The story of how the Tom Collins got its name is pretty widely disputed, but one thing definitely isn't: this drink is a classic for a reason. It's simple and delicious, especially with our Terra Botanical Gin. 

Terra adds a bit of herbal flavor to this fizzy, lemony cocktail. Like we've said before, this gin doesn't take much dressing-up to be great, and this classic cocktail is the perfect example. A Tom Collins with Terra is light and refreshing, tart and sweet. Ease your way into the colder seasons with this twist on a classic.

TOM COLLINS
Makes one cocktail

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Terra Botanical Gin
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
Club soda
Lemon wedge and brandied cherry to garnish

Add gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and ice to a cocktail shaker and shake thoroughly. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and top with club soda. Garnish with lemon and cherry.

Salty Dog cocktail recipe

Here's the amazing thing about our Terra Botanical Gin: you don't need to add much else to it to make a great cocktail. This a gin that you definitely want to taste in a drink, not cover up.

You need just two ingredients — okay, three if you count the salted rim — to make this Salty Dog. It is a classic cocktail that really lets our gin shine. The lovely botanicals in Terra play well with fresh citrus juices, especially the grapefruit in this drink.

SALTY DOG

Makes 1 cocktail

1.5 ounces Cardinal Spirits Terra Botanical Gin
3 ounces fresh grapefruit juice, to taste
Coarse salt

Salt the rim of a large rocks glass. Fill the glass with ice, then add the gin, then add the grapefruit juice. Stir gently if desired. 

Sage Gimlet cocktail recipe

What kind of cocktail do you make with a gin that you really love? Our go-to is a gimlet, which, when cheered on with a little fresh lime juice and simple syrup, lets a great gin shine.

Our Terra Botanical Gin is a knockout on its own, so you don't need much else to spin it into a fantastic cocktail. We happen to love it in a gimlet, and we know you will, too.

For this gin, we collaborated with Lior Lev Sercarz of the legendary La Boîte spice shop in NYC. Lior created the custom spice blend that gives Terra its woodsy, wild, fresh profile. It is wilderness in a bottle.

The best way to drink Terra is to dress it up minimally, with fresh lime and simple syrup — and a bit of sage, which bounces off Terra's other botanicals so beautifully. 

SAGE GIMLET

Makes 1 cocktail

2 ounces Cardinal Spirits Terra Botanical Gin
.75 ounce fresh lime juice
.75 ounce simple syrup
3-4 sage leaves, plus another sprig for garnish

Add the gin, lime juice, simple syrup and 3-4 sage leaves to a shaker, then add ice. Shake well, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a sprig of sage.