Here on the home front, at Elleanor + Indigo, we’re at it again. This time we’re quite literally “mixing” and “shaking” it up. But it may not be what you’re thinking. We hope that at this point you don't think that all we do is sit around and imbibe. We certainly have a wide range of other activities we take part in. However, we do enjoy the finer things in life. A good cocktail fits into that "finer things" category. And with so many great companies turning out such fantastic products, we’re just going to continue to let the good times roll.

We’ve again been blessed with such an amazing response from various companies allowing us to highlight the products they offer. We continue to be completely overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality we have encountered as this journey of ours as E +I unfolds.

It’s our absolute pleasure to share with you another southern based business that, like us, enjoys some of the same finer things. Enter Jack Rudy Cocktail Company. Jack Rudy is a family affair with roots in both Charleston, SC and Lexington, KY. This dedicated family offers a wide range of cocktail mixers, bitters, finishing touch products, apparel and drink making accessories for anyones needs. Wether you’re an experienced bar back and looking for something new, or an amateur cocktail enthusiast just looking to get started, they have something for you. 

In this post we’re going to share with you a handful of the products that Jack Rudy offers. We’ll also share with you a couple of cocktail recipes that we feel highlights these amazing products in great ways.

The first couple of products we’re going to highlight are the Jack Rudy Classic Tonic Syrup and the Jack Rudy Bourbon Cocktail Cherries. The Classic Tonic Syrup is exactly what you’re probably thinking. Made with quinine at its core,  blended with various botanicals, then sweetened with cane sugar --  this tonic syrup is a must have. It will instantly elevate your gin and tonic or your vodka and tonic. But if you have gin in your home bar, there’s really no need to ever reach for vodka, in my opinion.

The Jack Rudy Cocktail Cherries are an absolutely delicious addition to classic cocktails. Since Jack Rudy has some roots in Kentucky this pairing of KY bourbon and Oregon cherries is a true winning combination. Use the cherries in any whiskey based cocktail like a Manhattan, or like we do, in our Gin & Tonic. You will not be disappointed, and trust us you’ll eat a few while you're mixing things up. 

We paired both of these wonderful products in our Southern Gin & Tonic. We have several local area distilleries and they each have a very different gin to offer. My suggestion to you is to experiment. Don’t settle for just one gin, try many!

Southern Gin & Tonic

2oz Gin (We used Striped Pig Gin, Charleston, SC)

3/4oz Jack Rudy Classic Tonic Syrup

Soda Water

Lime

Jack Rudy Bourbon Cocktail Cherry (For Garnish)

Place ingrediants in an ice filled mixing glass and stir with a bar spoon until the glass feels very cold. I stir about 40-50 times. Strain the mixture in a double old fashioned glass with fresh ice and top off with a splash of soda water.

Squeeze a wedge of lime into the top of the cocktail and garnish with a lime coin and Jack Rudy Bourbon Cocktail Cherry.

The second drink we created is a little more involved, but it is so good that it is well worth a little extra effort. In this drink we used the Jack Rudy Elderflower Tonic and the Jack Rudy Lavender Bitters. The Elderflower Tonic is made with organic elderflowers with additional quinine added to balance out the flavors. You’ll love the floral aroma and botanical flavors that you get from using this product.

Then we decided to pair it with the wonderful Lavender Bitters that Jack Rudy has developed. These bitters are full of flavor and they had just the right delicate touch to this next cocktail. We also used Batavia Arrack as our base spirit. Arrack is distilled from rice and cane sugar (molasses) and has its origins in Indonesia. It’s becoming more and more accessible and we love the way it pairs with floral tonics and citrus. 

Far East Flowers

2oz Batavia Arrack

3/4oz Jack Rudy Elderflower Tonic

1/2oz Fresh Meyer Lemon Juice

6-8 drops of Jack Rudy Lavender Bitters

Add all the ingredients to an ice filled shaking tin and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Double strain the mixture into a fresh coupe glass and garnish with fresh edible flowers. We used pansies, but any edible will do just fine. If you don’t have flowers a nice large lemon peel works well also. 

We think you’ll really and truly enjoy these cocktails as much as we have. And we couldn’t be more thankful to Jack Rudy for giving us this opportunity. They were so wonderful and provided us with so many products to try that we can’t fit it all in one post. So that means you’ll have to stay tuned, because we have some cold weather cocktails that we can’t wait to share!