Why Lemon and JD Single Barrel Rye Are A Match Made In Heaven

You’re sitting around a midsummer bonfire with friends and family. You want to spice up the mood and offer to whip up a cocktail and a dish. Without a second thought you reach for your good friend Jack. Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye offers a complex flavor profile with hints of ripe fruit and toasted oak making it the perfect base for an Old Fashioned. Why didn’t you think of this sooner? But, you want a lighter version, so you choose a Floral Old Fashioned that uses chamomile syrup, a lemon twist, and a 2-inch whiskey ice cube frozen with berries or edible flowers.

To pair with the sweet and spicy notes of the drink you decide on a citrusy Mediterranean dish like grilled chicken bites with Greek yogurt and preserved lemon peels. Coat slices of chicken in some chili flakes, paprika, salt, and black pepper and then put them on skewers to grill. Remove the chicken from the skewers and use toothpicks to make for an easy-to-eat appetizer. Serve with a yogurt dipping sauce and some grilled and preserved lemons.

The colorful and zesty chicken bites complement the Floral Old Fashioned. You will want to make this simple dish and classic cocktail with a beautiful twist all summer long.

Floral- Old Fashioned

For the Chamomile Syrup:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup chamomile tea

For the Cocktail:

2 oz. Single Barrel Rye

½ oz. chamomile syrup

3 dashes Angostura bitters

2-inch whiskey cube with edible flowers + lemon twist, for garnish

For syrup: In small saucepan combine sugar and chamomile tea. Simmer until sugar has dissolved. Cool completely.

For cocktail: Fill cocktail shaker with ice; combine Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye, chamomile syrup and bitters. Stir to evenly combine and chill. Run the lemon peel around the edge of the glass and drop into the glass. Strain cocktail into the glass filled with a floral whiskey cube and lemon twist. Optional Garnish- skewer the lemon zest after you run it around the edge of the glass then add skewer to glass.

Grilled Chicken Bites with Greek Yogurt & Preserved Lemon Peels

Yogurt dipping sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest, additional for garnish

kosher salt & Black pepper

chopped parsley, additional for garnish

Direction:

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Garnish with lemon zest and sprinkle of parsley.

For Chicken Bites

Ingredients:

Long bamboo skewers, soaked in water

1½ teaspoons dried crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 1- 2-inch cubes

2 lemons, cut in half

Chopped parsley, garnish

short bamboo picks for serving

Directions:

Soak long bamboo skewers in water. In a mixing bowl, combine chili flakes, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper. Add to chicken to coat evenly. Skewer chicken so that the pieces are barely touching. Grill skewers on BBQ until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10-12 min. Grill lemons until charred. Transfer skewers and lemons to a platter to rest; remove chicken from skewers. Attach short bamboo picks or toothpicks to each chicken bite and place on a platter. Serve with grilled lemons, yogurt sauce and preserved lemons.