Jentri Colello
To Old Fashioned stalwarts, there’s only one way to make the iconic Wisconsin cocktail: muddled oranges and cherries, Angostura bitters, Korbel brandy and lemon-lime soda. Top with ice, garnish, serve and repeat — bonus points if it’s consumed in a supper club or an ice fishing shanty.
But at Estrellón, the newest Tory Miller restaurant, bar manager Michael Lu has elevated the classic to show-stopping new heights, thanks to the exceptional WhistlePig 10-year rye whiskey that anchors the drink.
WhistlePig, a Vermont distillery which ages and bottles Canadian 100% rye mash whiskey, debuted its 10-year rye in the mid 2010s to unprecedented acclaim and expanded to the Wisconsin market in August 2015. It’s rich, complex, spicy and strong (seriously, it’s 100 proof). Get ready for people to be obsessed with rye the way they were with bourbon a few years ago.
With such a special ingredient, the $18 price tag makes sense, and Lu says the Old Fashioned is a top seller — Estrellón has sold the most WhistlePig in the state since it became available. Add Wisconsin maple syrup, Amaro Averna, two kinds of bitters and top it with an Amarena cherry, and you have the most impressive Old Fashioned in town.
