Whiskey and Bourbon Brines a First of their Kinds

Some things are just meant to go together like apples and cinnamon, chocolate and peanut butter, nachos and salsa, and macaroni and cheese.

The sweet and tart Maple Bourbon Bread & Butter pickles made with caramelized onions, organic New York State maple syrup, and McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey debuted locally last August. (photo by Maria Manliclic)

Brooklyn Brine has taken that idea to a new level with the introduction of its brand new Maple Bourbon Bread & Butter pickles made with Finger Lakes Distilling McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey, and signature Whiskey Sour Pickles made with McKenzie Rye Whiskey, which debuted just over a year ago.

Finger Lakes Distilling McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey is made from raw whole grains from local New York State farms and aged in new charred oak barrels. (photo by Maria Manliclic)

"It's great to partner with a company that is equally committed to using local, high-quality ingredients to make hand-crafted products," said Brian McKenzie, co-founder of Finger Lakes Distilling.

Finger Lakes Distilling overlooks Seneca Lake in the heart of the Empire State's wine country. (photo courtesy of FLD)

The distillery, located in Burdett, NY, began producing a variety of handmade spirits made in small batches, as well as sweet liqueurs, in 2007.

The buttery, smooth McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey is aged in 10-gallon barrels for 12 to 18 months then transferred into Chardonnay casks from local wineries to breathe. (photo by Maria Manliclic)

"I was interested in the barrel-curing process, which gives a unique flavor and is just a cool way of making pickles," said Shamus Jones, founder of Brooklyn Brine. "The charred barrel and tannins imparted from the oak gives (the Whiskey Sour Pickles) a smokey flavor."

Brooklyn Brine's signature Whiskey Sour Pickles received a nod from Time Out NY magazine as a critic's pick. (photo by Maria Manliclic)

Jones, a former vegetarian chef, said using spirits is very common in cooking, like deglazing a pan with whiskey. "Taking that into a shelf-stabilized jar version just made sense intuitively. And the name whiskey sour just works together," he said. "It's our love letter to Brooklyn."

McKenzie Rye Whiskey, likely the oldest type of whiskey produced in America, is made from local rye grain from fields located across the lake from the distillery, aged in new charred quarter casks, and finished in sherry barrels from local wineries. (photo courtesy of FLD)

It's great to see people discovering how wonderfully spicy rye whiskey can complement a damn fine pickle," McKenzie said.

Thomas Earl McKenzie, Brian's business partner (no relation), describes the rye whiskey on FLD's website as "A fine, old-fashioned rye — spicy and full of character."

FLD founders Thomas Earl McKenzie, far left, and Brian McKenzie, right, (no relation) inspect bottles of their rye whiskey. (photo courtesy of FLD)

Jones experimented with different brands of whiskeys for months, but it wasn't until the owner of the Black Rabbit bar, Kent Lanier, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, invited him to a tasting of the distillery's spirits and was given a sample of their rye whiskey, which he took home and made a test batch with. "I thought it was astounding," Jones said of the tester.

A 4,000-pound pot still, which can hold 300 gallons of bourbon mash, and rectification column made by Holstein in Markdorf, Germany is the centerpiece of the distillery. (photo courtesy of FLD)

"We started selling the (whiskey sour) pickles in our tasting room," Brian said, shortly after its debut in late August 2010. And immediately "sold through more than 25 cases," he added. "We're incredibly excited to be working with Brooklyn Brine."

- by Maria Manliclic