A Tropical Twist on Rye Whiskey

Bartenders At Home

This refreshing cocktail from Seattle bartender Joshua Ibanez gives rye whiskey a tropical makeover.

The Daily Beast

Courtesy Joshua Ibanez

What inspired you to create this cocktail? “Accessible ingredients and tools. Rye is usually synonymous with stirred, booze-forward cocktails. I wanted to utilize the spiciness of Rittenhouse to show that it can play well with some tropical flavors.”

When would you serve this drink? “Sunlight is this drink’s friend. Early, afternoon, mid-day. They all sound good to me.”

What music would you pair it with? “If you haven’t had bright refreshing cocktails while jamming to Wayne Wonder’s “No Letting Go,” now is your chance. Or for something a bit more recent, “So Good” by Omar Apollo fits right in, too.”

What food would you pair it with? “Tacos al pastor. Make sure to add plenty of salsa.”

Name the person (dead or alive) you’d like to make this cocktail for. “These types of questions usually have me thinking way too long about them. I don’t know. Definitely somebody not in the food or drink industry. Maybe Paul Rudd? He seems like a swell guy.”

Square Up

By Joshua Ibanez

INGREDIENTS 

  • 1.5 oz Rittenhouse Rye (Order on Drizly)
  • .75 oz Rainwater Madeira (medium-dry)
  • .75 oz Pineapple-Raspberry Syrup*
  • .75 oz Lemon juice
  • Glass: Rocks
  • Garnish: Pineapple wedge, raspberry and mint sprig

DIRECTIONS:

Add all of the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and pour unstrained into a rocks glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge, a raspberry and a mint sprig.

Pineapple-Raspberry Recipe*

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 6 oz Raspberries 
  • Half of a pineapple

DIRECTIONS

Dice the pineapple into 1-inch cubes and store in a bowl. Heat the water in a medium-sized pot and add the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the raspberries and simmer on low for ten minutes. Pour the entire contents of the pot (raspberries and all) over the diced pineapple. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Then strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container.

Joshua Ibanez is a talented Seattle bartender

Thank you Heaven Hill Bartender of the Year for partnering with Half Full on the Bartenders At Home cocktail video series.

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Interview has been condensed and edited.