6 Farm-Fresh Whiskey Cocktails for Enthusiasts

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We’re right in the middle of a cocktail renaissance. Bartenders and mixologists are elevating their craft, eschewing awful pre-made mixes for libations made with fresh ingredients, resulting in spectacular sipping. 

Case in point: The team at Frey Ranch has developed six signature spring cocktails in celebration of the Nevada distillery’s Farm-to-Glass campaign. Every single bottle of Frey Ranch’s award-winning whiskey is distilled from ingredients grown right on the farm, so it only makes sense these six cocktails embody this same ethos. Just like its whiskey, Frey Ranch’s cocktails are the ultimate Farm-to-Glass experience from the first sip to the last.

From berries and fresh herbs to citrus-forward classics with a fresh spin, these signature cocktails are sure to put a spring in your step. Channel your inner mixologist and try your hand at making one (or all of them!) at home.

Frey Ranch’s signature cocktail, the “Farmer’s Lemonade,” is a spin on the classic gold rush cocktail and an ode to the Frey whiskey farm’s deep roots in Nevada. This refreshing beverage can be enjoyed year-round during happy hour, at dinner with a nice steak fresh off the grill, or even with a fresh fruit pie for dessert.

Just like all of Frey Ranch’s Farm-to-Glass cocktails, the Farmer’s Lemonade is a simple drink that relies on good, quality ingredients grown and harvested sustainably. In this case, it’s Frey Ranch’s four-grain bourbon, fresh lemon juice, and a honey simple syrup. And if you use local honey and lemons (especially Meyer lemons) picked right off the tree, this drink will be a spiked lemonade unlike any other. It’s a cocktail that will instantly transport you to the lemon grove.

Farmer’s Lemonade Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Frey Ranch bourbon

• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

• ¾ ounce honey simple syrup (made from equal parts honey and warm water)

• Dash of aromatic bitters

• Freshly sliced lemon twist, for garnish

Directions

1. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously.

2. Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with fresh lemon peel and serve.

Nothing says spring like fresh strawberries. While you may automatically think of blending those strawberries into a margarita or daiquiri, if you’re a whiskey lover, the Frey Ranch “Porch Swing” cocktail would be the way to go.

Made up of only six ingredients including fresh muddled strawberries, basil, and mint, this cocktail can be mixed up quickly and enjoyed at a spring soiree, backyard barbecue, or in a moment of quiet while slowly swaying back and forth on your (or the distillery’s) front porch swing. That is, after all, how the drink got its name. And because you’re using fresh fruit and herbs (hopefully from your favorite farmers market) mixed with Frey Ranch’s Farm-to-Glass rye whiskey, it’ll feel like you just plucked this cocktail straight from the garden.

Porch Swing Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Frey Ranch rye whiskey

• ¼ ounce simple syrup

• 4–5 fresh basil leaves 

• 2–3 fresh strawberries 

• Fresh basil sprig, for garnish

• Sliced strawberries, for garnish

Directions

1. Muddle the fresh strawberries, basil, and mint in the bottom of your rocks glass.

2. Pour in Frey Ranch rye and simple syrup. Add crushed ice, then top with your favorite sparkling water.

3. Garnish with fresh basil and strawberries, and enjoy!

If you’re a fan of cocktails full of pebble ice and fresh fruit, the “Harvester’s Blackberry Smash” is the perfect choice. In case you don’t know, a smash is similar to a mint julep. Both use whiskey (usually bourbon, but any of the Frey Ranch whiskeys would work), mint, and simple syrup. Then the smash goes further by adding fruit and water or seltzer.

But what’s really great about this cocktail is that you can enjoy it in the spring, summer, or fall. And if you’re not partial to blackberries, you can easily swap them out for blueberries, raspberries, huckleberries, or any berry you prefer depending on what’s in season.

The most important thing to remember when creating this cocktail is that you use the freshest fruit possible because fresh ingredients are what makes a smash cocktail so refreshing. Not only do all of these fruits mix well with Frey’s Farm-to-Glass whiskeys, but fresh fruit turns a drink that could be cloying into something really special.

Harvester’s Blackberry Smash Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Frey Ranch straight bourbon

• 1–2 limes, freshly squeezed

• 8 fresh blackberries

• 5 large mint leaves

• ½ ounce simple syrup

• 1 ounce club soda

Directions

1. Muddle the fresh blackberries, lime juice, and mint together in the bottom of your rocks glass.

2. Add Frey Ranch straight bourbon and simple syrup to your glass. Add crushed ice, and top with club soda.

3. Garnish with a fresh mint crown and serve.

Similar to the Farmer’s Lemonade, the “Sun Dog Collins” is another of Frey Ranch’s Farm-to-Glass cocktails with citrus as its main mixer. But the cocktail doesn’t just use fresh lemon juice. It delves deeper into the tangy citrus realm by adding fresh orange juice as well. Served in a tall Collins glass, this drink is made for those who love a cocktail that’s a little sweet, a little sour, and full of bubbles – a refreshment made for warm spring or summer days on the farm.

Frey Ranch’s own Kyle Saiki explains that the cocktail’s name is inspired by nature and refers to “a meteorological condition you might see during the springtime from Frey Ranch.” A sun dog occurs when light refracts through ice crystals and creates colored spots around the sun. A phenomenon that might just occur as spring’s warmer temperatures cause the frost of winter to melt away and reveal the beautiful green crops that make Frey Ranch’s whiskeys so special.

The combination of Frey Ranch’s straight bourbon, freshly squeezed citrus juice, and sparkling water makes this cocktail truly refreshing. The subtle herbaceous flavor notes that come from not one, but two different herbal syrups turn this drink into a totally unique sparkling lemonade.

Sun Dog Collins Recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces Frey Ranch straight bourbon

• 1 ounce lemon juice

• ½ ounce freshly squeezed orange juice

• ¾ ounce basil syrup

• ¾ ounce mint syrup

• 1 ounce sparkling water

• Fresh basil sprig, for garnish

• Mint crown, for garnish

Directions

1. Add the Frey Ranch bourbon, lemon juice, orange juice, mint, and basil syrups to a Collins glass.

2. Fill ice to the top of the glass, and top with sparkling water.

3. Garnish with a fresh basil sprig and mint crown, and enjoy!

Another sparkling cocktail, “Above the Frey,” may be totally different from Frey Ranch’s other signature drinks, but it still uses the freshest ingredients available. It’s also the only cocktail on the ranch’s menu that uses not one, but two spirits.

The first is Frey Ranch’s straight bourbon, which embodies four different farm-grown grains to create a whiskey full of depth and flavor. The second is a spirit with its own unique flavor that stands up to the bourbon and won’t get lost: Yellow Chartreuse.

Since Yellow Chartreuse can still be found on most liquor store shelves, you can easily create this cocktail at home the minute peaches are in season. And in our opinion, other than lemon and bourbon, there is no better flavor combination than peaches and bourbon, especially when those peaches are freshly picked and have the perfect sweet and tart flavor combination.

Above the Frey Recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces Frey Ranch straight bourbon

• ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

• ¾ ounce freshly made peach puree

• ½ ounce Yellow Chartreuse

• 1 ounce sparkling water

• A fresh mint crown, for garnish

• Peach slices, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine Frey Ranch bourbon, lemon juice, fresh peach puree, and yellow chartreuse in your shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously.

2. Strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice, and top with sparkling water.

3. Garnish with a fresh mint crown, fresh, sliced peaches, and serve.

If you prefer your cocktails up rather than on the rocks, the Warden 1854 is the drink for you. Frey Ranch’s riff on the classic ward eight cocktail, this drink got its name thanks to co-founder Colby Frey’s great, great, great, grandfather who bought one of the original eight deeded properties in Nevada in, you guessed it, 1854.

The “Warden 1854” swaps out the classic orange juice and grenadine with grapefruit juice and strawberry syrup, then adds a dash of aromatic bitters to tie the whole cocktail together. Combining fresh winter citrus with spring strawberries makes this drink an elegant way to say goodbye to winter while welcoming spring. It’s a true toast to the Farm-to-Glass experience.

Warden 1854 Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Frey Ranch straight rye whiskey

• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice

• ½ ounce fresh grapefruit juice

• ½ ounce liquid Alchemist strawberry syrup

• Dash of aromatic bitters

Directions

1. Combine Frey Ranch straight rye whiskey, freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, strawberry syrup, and aromatic bitters into your favorite shaker.

2. Once shaken to perfection, strain into a chilled coupe glass.

3. Garnish with a fresh grapefruit peel, and enjoy!

The best part about the Frey Ranch Farm-to-Glass experience is that you can easily incorporate this sustainable ethos into your lifestyle, wherever you are. Frey Ranch whiskey bottles are available at retailers across the United States and can also be ordered directly through the distillery’s online whiskey shop and shipped directly to your door. And if you do happen to find yourself in Nevada, know that Frey Ranch opens its doors every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. for complimentary tours and tastings.