Pickett's Fence: A New Local Classic from Wit & Wisdom
We already knew that new Michael Mina tavern Wit & Wisdom had a killer cocktail program, and this week we caught wind of another cool offering at the waterfront hotel restaurant. For their entry into the Four Seasons’ internal “100 Mile Cocktail Competition,” beverage manager Tiffany Dawn Soto and lead bartender Adrian Ross Boon have created Pickett’s Fence, which will be available at Wit & Wisdom throughout the month of February for just $10.
This is no mundane or lightly considered concoction. Inspiration for the recipe comes from the traditional drink known as Stone Fence, named after a battle in the American Revolution, in which Revolutionary soldiers overcame great odds to vanquish a British fort. The new drink's twist is an ode to “Pickett’s Charge,” a key American Civil War battle fought less than 55 miles north of Baltimore City. Furthermore, all of the ingredients used to make the drink come from areas nearby. The main spirit, Catoctin Creek Organic Roundstone Rye Whiskey, hails from Purcellville, VA, which is infused with apples from Catoctin Mountain Orchard in Thurmont. That joins forces with Blackwater Distilling Company’s Sloop Betty Vodka (Stevensville), which has been infused with bay leaves from Eco Farms of Lanham.
The mix is sweetened with honey from West Friendship’s Breezy Willow Farms, and then topped with 90 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, DE (that one is the furthest out, stretching the limit at 100.4 miles away). A strip of apple peel and a lightly-torched bay leaf round out the flavors as garnish. Ideally, the drink will be served in a vessel from Colombia, PA’s Susquehanna Glass Company.
Could this be Baltimore’s new signature cocktail? Will Wit & Wisdom win national Four Seasons acclaim? Only one way to make an educated guess: check out the recipe below or stop in to try one for yourself.
Pickett’s Fence
1½ oz. Apple Infused Catoctic Creek Organic Roundstone Rye Whiskey
1 oz. Cracked Bay Leaf Infused Sloop Betty Vodka
1 oz. Breezy Willow Honey Syrup (preparation below)
1 oz. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Granny Smith Apple Rind Spring
Cracked Dry Bay Leaf
Combine in a shaker Apple imbibed Organic Catoctin Rye Whiskey, Bay Leaf Infused Sloop Betty Vodka, and Breezy Willow Honey Syrup, and shake. Strain into a Susquehanna Aristocrat 11 ounce old-fashioned glass over fresh blocks of cold draft ice. Top with Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. Garnish with peeled Granny Apple Rind Spring, and top with one Cracked Dry Bay Leaf.
Photos courtesy of the restaurant
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