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By Richard Thomas
Score: A-
Bourbonola, a excessive power bourbon and cola mixer
(Credit score: Richard Thomas)
Bourbonola is a nod to the lengthy historical past of the Lexington Brewing Firm. By that, I don’t imply the fashionable firm, which was established in 1999 and may be very a lot a creation of the late interval of the Craft Beer 1.0 period.
There’s an earlier Lexington Brewing Firm, one which received its begin within the Nineties. Like many breweries across the nation, the corporate struggled to outlive Prohibition. As a part of its efforts, they launched a cola referred to as “Bourbonola.” One can see the advertisements painted on the perimeters of buildings in outdated timey images of early twentieth Century Lexington, Kentucky. There was no precise bourbon within the outdated Bourbonola, after all. It was Prohibition. However it was an effort to supply an alternate, non-alcoholic product intertwined with Kentucky’s typically boozy tradition.
The fashionable, Alltech-owned Lexington Brewing and Distilling Firm has revived Bourbonola as an RTD mixer. They’ve taken a mix of cherry and vanilla colas, and blended in sufficient City Department Bourbon (I’m instructed it’s the cask power model, though that isn’t within the official supplies) to boost the ABV to 12%. That’s double the norm for RTD mixers and on par with a glass of wine. As you’ll quickly study, that makes all of the distinction.
The Mixer
That is the perfect RTD mixer I’ve ever had, flat out. It’s merely not that onerous to do a mixer, so comfort can by no means make up for merely placing Coca Cola and a tiny quantity of Jack Daniel’s in a can, for instance. The opposite day I did a mixer of a artful ginger ale (I neglect which one; see the bourbon chosen for mixing) with Elijah Craigh Barrel Proof. I did this on the fly, taking a swig from the bottle after which refilling it with the cask power bourbon. The end result was higher than half the RTD mixers I’ve had: in my improvised, car parking zone concoction, the gentle drink wasn’t boring and bourbon robust sufficient to make its presence felt.
Bourbonola is completely different. The selection of cherry and vanilla colas is ideal, as a result of the cherry taste provides a twist, whereas the vanilla enhances the bourbon. The latter is robust sufficient to make its presence felt and packs extra of a wallop than most beer, and that’s what any sane particular person ought to need from a mixer.
Get a four-pack and check out it out this summer time. If the roots of this mixer are your bag, you received’t remorse it.
The Value
A four-pack goes for $14.99.
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