Join Mad River Distillers on Friday, March 22nd at 802bws in Burlington, VT. There will be complimentary tastings from our line of spirits between 4:30pm - 6:30pm. Feel free to ask questions! Bottles will be available for purchase.
MRD Tasting at Granby Liquor Store in Granby, MA
Join Mad River Distillers on Friday, April 19th at the Granby Liquor Store in Granby, MA. There will be complimentary tastings from our line of spirits between 4:00pm - 6:00pm. Feel free to ask questions! Bottles will be available for purchase.
MRD Tasting at Route 110 Liquors in Amesbury, MA
Join Mad River Distillers on Friday, May 10th at Route 110 Liquors in Amesbury, MA. There will be complimentary tastings from our line of spirits between 4:00pm-6:00pm. Feel free to ask questions! Bottles will be available for purchase.
Mad River Distillers Welcomes Moira Horan as On-Premise Sales Manager for Massachusetts
Warren, VT – March 4, 2024 – Mad River Distillers, a leader in the craft distilling industry known for its commitment to quality and sustainability, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Moira Horan as On-Premise Sales Manager for Massachusetts and Connecticut. Horan, who previously worked with Mad River Distillers in 2017, returns to the team in a pivotal management role after gaining valuable experience and insights at Fever Tree and Tanteo Tequila.
Moira Horan is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of success in the beverage industry. During her time at Fever Tree and Tanteo Tequila, she developed a deep understanding of the market dynamics and established herself as a key player in driving growth and brand recognition. Her expertise in sales strategy, customer relations, and market penetration will be invaluable to Mad River Distillers as the company seeks to expand its presence and influence in the Massachusetts and Connecticut markets.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Moira back to the Mad River Distillers family," said Maura Connolly, Co-founder of Mad River Distillers. "Her energy, expertise, and passion for the spirits industry are exactly what we need as we look to strengthen our position in the on-premise marketplace. Moira's unique ability to connect with customers and drive sales will be instrumental in achieving our growth objectives in these key regions."
In her new role, Horan will be responsible for leading sales initiatives, cultivating relationships with key accounts, and developing valuable partnerships that will enhance Mad River Distillers' visibility and market share. Her appointment marks a significant step forward in the company's strategic expansion efforts and underscores its commitment to bringing high-quality, artisanal spirits to a wider audience.
“I’m excited to return to the Mad River Distillers team which is a brand based on authenticity and sense of place,” said Moira Horan. “I look forward to being a part of the brand building in the on-premise in Massachusetts and Connecticut."
Mad River Distillers is confident that Horan's return and her leadership in the Massachusetts and Connecticut markets will usher in a new era of growth and innovation for the company.
About Mad River Distillers: Mad River Distillers is a craft distillery based in Warren, Vermont, dedicated to producing high-quality, small-batch spirits with a focus on sustainability and innovation. Founded in 2011, the distillery has garnered acclaim for its diverse portfolio of award-winning products, including whiskey, rum, and brandy. Committed to the craft and community, Mad River Distillers continues to push the boundaries of traditional distilling while honoring the rich heritage of Vermont's distilling legacy.
For further information, contact Mad River Distillers at info@madriverdistillers.com
MRD Tasting at Maximum Beverage in Farmington, CT
Join Mad River Distillers on Friday, May 10th at the Maximum Beverage in Farmington, CT. There will be complimentary tastings from our line of spirits between 4:00pm-7:00pm. Feel free to ask questions! Bottles will be available for purchase.
MRD Tasting at Village Cork & Keg in Granby, CT
Join Mad River Distillers on Friday, April 26th at the Village Cork & Keg in Granby, CT. There will be complimentary tastings from our line of spirits between 4:30pm-7:00pm. Feel free to ask questions! Bottles will be available for purchase.
Mad River Distillers Tasting at Ryan's Package Store in Westfield, MA
Join Mad River Distillers on Saturday, April 27th at Ryan's Package Store in Westfield, MA. There will be complimentary tastings from our line of spirits between 4:00pm-6:00pm. Feel free to ask questions! Bottles will be available for purchase.
Thin Mint
Print
Thin Mint
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
A chocolate and mint flavored cocktail made with Vanilla Rum that would make an ideal St. Patrick’s Day treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 oz. of Vanilla Rum
- 1.5 oz. of Creme de Cacao
- 3/4 oz. of Green Creme de Menthe
- 1 splash of Irish Cream
- 3 oz. of half of half
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients.
- Add ice, then shake well.
- Strain into a coupe glass, then grate chocolate over the top. You can also add a thin mint cookie as garnish.
Featured Spirit
Mad River Distillers Dinner at 101 Restaurant & Bar in Pittsfield, MA
Join Mad River Distillers on Thursday, February 29th at 101 Restaurant & Bar in Pittsfield, MA. Reservations are required for this 5 course dinner paired with tastings from our line of spirits. Please call the restaurant to inquire and reserve your spot!
Manhattan Riff Recipes
The Manhattan cocktail is one of the most famous cocktails in the world. It is believed that this simple but flavorful cocktail was created in New York between the 1860’s and 1870’s. As a “modern cocktail,” the introduction of sweet vermouth turned the Old Fashioned into something entirely new. Typically made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters and a cherry garnish, the Manhattan is so popular that a wide number of riffs have been created in its honor.
If you aren’t familiar with the term “riff,” it refers to the addition, substitution or adjustment of ingredients or amounts in a cocktail in order to create something new. Each Monday in the month of February, we’re offering a favorite Manhattan variation at our Burlington Tasting Room. We’re also sharing recipes for a variety of these recipes with you here, so you can mix things up during cocktail hour at home.
Manhattan Riff Cocktail Recipes:
BROOKLYN
Ingredients:
-2 oz. of Revolution Rye
-1 oz. of Dolin Dry Vermouth
-1/2 oz. of Bigallet China China
-1/4 oz. of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, and stir for about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
TORONTO
Ingredients:
-2 oz. of Burnt Rock Bourbon
-1/4 oz. of Fernet Branca
-1/4 oz. of simple syrup
-2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, and stir for about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express an orange peel over the glass, then add as a garnish.
SPANISH MANHATTAN
Ingredients:
-1 oz. of PX Rum
-1 oz. of Carpano Antica
-1/2 oz. of Nocino Liqueur
-1/2 oz. of Fino Sherry
-5 dashes orange bitters
Directions:
To make, combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express an orange peel over the top, then rub around the rim of the glass and discard.
VEIUX CARRE
Ingredients:
-1 oz. of Revolution Rye
-3/4 oz. of Cognac
-3/4 oz. of Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
-1/4 oz. of Benedictine
-2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
-2 dashes of Peychauds Bitters
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir will for 30 seconds, then strain and serve up in a coupe glass. Add a Luxardo cherry for garnish.
LA LOUISIANE
Ingredients:
-1 oz. of Revolution Rye or Straight Bourbon
-1 oz. of Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
-1 oz. of Benedictine
-3 dashes Peychauds Bitters
-scant barspoon of Absinthe
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 15-30 seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
PALMETTO
Ingredients:
-1.5 oz. of PX Rum
-1/2 oz. of Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
-1/2 oz. of Amaro Averna
-1/2 oz. of Cocchi di Torino
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir briefly, then strain contents into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
To make your own cocktail riff, all you need to do is swap one ingredient for a similar substitute, or experiment with changing the amounts of each ingredient. For example, you can substitute Straight Bourbon for Burnt Rock Bourbon, Revolution Rye or even a rum. Likewise, if a recipe calls for 2 ounces of whiskey and 1 ounce of sweet vermouth, you can create a variation by adjusting the ounces of each ingredient. The flavor can also change just by experimenting with different bitters.
At our Burlington Tasting Room, we often experiment with spirits, liqueurs, bitters and syrups to create new cocktails. Of course, we aren’t the only ones coming up with new recipes, so we also often feature popular riffs like the Brooklyn and Vieux Carre above. Do you have a favorite Manhattan recipe? If you’ve come up with a unique Manhattan riff of your own, we’d love to hear it. Share your creation and tag us on social! Cheers!
Mad River Distillers tasting at Campus Fine Wines in Providence
Join Mad River Distillers on Thursday, February 15th at the Campus Fine Wines in Providence, RI. There will be complimentary tastings from our line of spirits between 4:00pm- 7:00pm. Feel free to ask questions! Bottles will be available for purchase.
2024 Valentine’s Day Cocktail Recipes
It’s the holiday of love, and if you love a cocktail, then you’ve come to the right place because we’ve compiled a fresh list of beautiful and tasty cocktails to enjoy as part of your Valentine’s Day celebrations this year. Our friend Jake Bruns created and shared eight new recipes incorporating our spirits, including our Rum 44, Vanilla Rum, PX Rum, Straight Bourbon, and Revolution Rye Whiskey. Romantic in color and in flavor, there is something here for everyone.
MAD PINK LADY
Ingredients:
-1.5 oz. of Rum 44
-1/2 oz. of Mad Apple
-3/4 oz. of fresh lemon juice
-1/4 oz. of Grenadine
-1 egg white
-3 dashes of Bittercube Bolivar Bitters
Directions:
Add all ingredients except bitters to a shaker and vigorously dry shake. Add ice and shake again until well chilled. Strain into coupe. Float bitters on top.
BETWEEN THE SHEETS
Ingredients:
-3/4 oz. of Straight Bourbon
-3/4 oz. of Monteru Sauternes Cask
-3/4 oz. of Fernando Orange Curaçao
-3/4 oz. of fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake until well chilled, then strain into a coupe. Flame an orange peel, then express oils over the cocktail and garnish with the peel.
BITTER HEART
Ingredients:
-2 oz. of Vanilla Rum
-3/4 oz. of Galliano Aperitivo
-3/4 oz. of fresh lime juice
-3/4 oz. of simple syrup
-2 Strawberries
Directions:
Muddle strawberries with sugar in a shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with a fresh strawberry.
BRÛLÉED BANANA BOULEVARDIER
Ingredients:
-1.5 oz. of Straight Bourbon
-3/4 oz. of Contratto Bitter
-1/2 oz. of Combier Banana
-3/4 oz. of Lustau Amontillado
-Brûléed banana slice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until cold. Pour over large cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a brûléed banana slice.
PXOXO
Ingredients:
-2 oz. of PX Rum
-1/2 oz. of orange smoked cinnamon oleo saccharum
-3 dashes of Bittercube Blackstrap bitters
Directions:
Stir with ice in a mixing glass until well chilled. Strain over a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange swath and cinnamon stick.
VERMONT VIOLETTE
Ingredients:
-1 oz. of Rum 44
-1/2 oz. of Rothman & Winter Violette
-1/2 oz. of fresh lemon juice
-1 oz. of Lambrusco
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lemon swath.
CHOCOLATE REVOLUTION
Ingredients:
-1 oz. of Revolution Rye
-1 oz. of Chocolat deluxe chocolate liqueur
-1 oz. of crème de cocoa
-1/2 oz. of half & half
-2 dashes of chocolate bitters
Directions:
Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with shaved or grated chocolate.
GREEN WITH ENVY
Ingredients:
-1 oz. of Rum 44
-3/4 oz. of Green Chartreuse
-1 oz. of fresh lime juice
-3/4 oz. of simple syrup
-Pinch of salt
Directions:
Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into glass.
We hope you found the perfect recipe here to make for the special someone in your life, even if that special someone is you! If you live locally, stop into one of our Tasting Rooms to stock up on our spirits. For other supplies like grenadine, simple syrup and bitters, our Burlington Tasting Room has you covered. You can even find large ice molds and glassware (which also make great gifts).
Be sure to tag us @madriverdistillers if you make any of the cocktails above. We’d love to see your favorites!
Recipe content by Jake Bruns. Written and published by Brianne Lucas on February 5, 2024.
Biglietto
Print
Biglietto
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
A Manhattan riff that combines Revolution Rye with Linchpin Aperitivo (or Aperol), Bigallet China China and Luxardo Maraschino.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 oz. of Revolution Rye
- 1.5 oz. of Linchpin Aperitivo (or Aperol)
- 1/2 oz. of Bigallet China China
- 1/4 oz. of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass.
- Add ice, then stir for 15-30 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
Featured Spirit
Green With Envy
Print
Green With Envy
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
A simple but bright and herbal cocktail combining Rum 44 with Green Chartreuse, lime juice, simple syrup and a pinch of salt.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 oz. of Rum 44
- 3/4 oz. of Green Chartreuse
- 1 oz. of fresh lime juice
- 3/4 oz. of simple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled and strain into glass.
Featured Spirit
Chocolate Revolution
Print
Chocolate Revolution
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
A sweet treat of a cocktail combining the cocoa flavors of our Revolution Rye along with chocolate liqueur, creme de cocoa, half & half and chocolate bitters.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 oz. of Revolution Rye
- 1 oz. of Chocolat deluxe chocolate liqueur
- 1 oz. of crème de cocoa
- 1/2 oz. of half & half
- 2 dashes of chocolate bitters
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled glass.
- Garnish with shaved or grated chocolate.
Featured Spirit
Vermont Violette
Print
Vermont Violette
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
A delightful combination of our Rum 44 with Creme de Violette, sparkling red wine and fresh lemon juice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 oz. of Rum 44
- 1/2 oz. of Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette
- 1/2 oz. of fresh lemon juice
- 1 oz. of Lambrusco
Featured Spirit
PXOXO
Print
PXOXO
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
The nutty and smoky aroma of our PX Rum mingles with an orange smoked cinnamon oleo saccharum and Bittercube Blackstrap Bitters.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 oz. of PX Rum
- 1/2 oz. of orange smoked cinnamon oleo saccharum
- 3 dashes of Bittercube Blackstrap bitters
Instructions
- Stir with ice in a mixing glass until well chilled.
- Strain over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with an orange swath and cinnamon stick.
Featured Spirit
Brûléed Banana Boulevardier
Print
Brûléed Banana Boulevardier
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
In this Boulevardier riff, Straight Bourbon combines with Contrato Bitter Liqueur, Lustau Amontillado and Combier Banana Liqueur to create a unique brûléed banana flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 oz. of Straight Bourbon
- 3/4 oz. of Contratto Bitter Liqueur
- 1/2 oz. of Combier Banana Liqueur
- 3/4 oz. of Lustau Amontillado
- Brûléed banana slice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until cold.
- Pour over large cube in a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a brûléed banana slice.
Featured Spirit
Bitter Heart
Print
Bitter Heart
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
A delicious strawberry cocktail made with our Vanilla Rum, Galliano Aperitivo, lime juice, simple syrup and strawberries!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 oz. of Vanilla Rum
- 3/4 oz. of Galliano Aperitivo
- 3/4 oz. of fresh lime juice
- 3/4 oz. of simple syrup
- 2 Strawberries
Instructions
- Muddle strawberries with sugar in a shaker.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and shake with ice.
- Strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with a fresh strawberry.
Featured Spirit
Between The Sheets
Print
Between The Sheets
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
Description
A flavorful equal parts cocktail made with our Straight Bourbon, Monteru Sauternes Cask, Orange Curaçao and lemon juice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3/4 oz. of Straight Bourbon
- 3/4 oz. of Monteru Sauternes Cask
- 3/4 oz. of Fernando Orange Curaçao
- 3/4 oz. of fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake until well chilled, then strain into a coupe.
- Flame an orange peel, then express oils over the cocktail, and garnish with the peel.
