Discovering a new twist on a classic cocktail is always a treat. Our in-house mixologist and senior designer, Jim Kershaw, shares a Vermont-themed version of a Whiskey Sour that showcases WhistlePig rye whiskey and pure maple syrup. The rye is distilled on an old dairy farm just about an hour north of Orvis HQ, and the the maple syrup was made by an Orvis associate on his farm in nearby Shaftsbury.
Add the juice of lemon originally important from China and some Italian vermouth, and you’ve got a magical mixture of the local and the exotic. But it will be your taste buds that are the ultimate judge. So give the When Pigs Fly a try on a cold early-spring evening. You won’t regret it.

When Pigs Fly
1. Pour:
- 2 oz. WhistlePig PiggyBack Rye
- 1/2 oz. Vermont maple syrup
- 3/4 oz. Meyer lemon juice, or the juice from one Meyer lemon
- 1/4 oz. Vermont coffee-infused sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
2. Shake over ice.
3. Strain over a large ice cube.
4. Garnish with a speared bourbon cherry.
Sounds awesome so I’ll give it a try and, hopefully, provide some feedback.
Cheers
COL Thomas Murray, US Army-Ret
Tell me about the coffee infused swt.Vermouth.
Where can I pick up one of those whiskey glasses?
Sorry. We are fresh out, and I had our inventory people check with the vendor, but they don’t have any either.