Many craft distilleries have close relationships with local bars and restaurants, but few have taken collaboration quite as far as Rotten Little Bastard Distillery and the Old Bull Tavern. In 2023, these two small businesses in Beaufort, South Carolina, teamed up to create a brand-new product — The Bravest Bull Whiskey —specifically designed for making memorable cocktails.
Cocktails Come First
Oscar Salas, owner of the Old Bull Tavern, is a seasoned whiskey aficionado. He and his wife have amassed a huge collection of rare bourbons, including many collectible bottlings that are nearly impossible to find. But as he started thinking about different ways to extend his popular local restaurant’s brand, he felt pulled in another direction.
“I don’t have the audacity to think we could make our own straight bourbon that could compete with anything we love,” Salas says. Instead, he looked towards an infused whiskey that would truly stand out behind their bar. ‘We really wanted to have something distinct and powerful that we can craft into a cocktail,” says Salas.
So he reached out to Brian Fackrell, distiller and co-owner of Rotten Little Bastard Distillery, a nano-distillery in the former automotive section of an old Kmart. “Oscar came to us wanting a bourbon with ginger, but when Brian heard about it, he was afraid the bourbon would overpower what he wanted to do,” says Brigid Fackrell, CEO, co-founder, and co-owner of Rotten Little Bastard. “We also make an American whiskey, so we started to play with it and real ginger.” The result? A 120-proof ginger-infused American whiskey called Bravest Bull.
“The high proof is meant for a cocktail,” Brigid explains. “It’s real ginger, so it’s got that spark of heat, which really adds to the flavor.”
The Bravest Bull whiskey is a true shared venture, with a shared trademark and branding. The restaurant purchases it through distribution and features it in several cocktails. That acts as a powerful marketing tool for the distillery, which sells it by the bottle through its nearby tasting room. “People will go there and then come here to buy a bottle,” says Brigid.
Behind the Bar
Once the first bottles of Bravest Bull hit Old Bull Tavern’s back bar, Salas got to work developing cocktails that highlighted its gingery warmth. One of those was the Beaufort Mule, a fiery twist on the classic that’s earned a permanent spot on their menu. Since The Bravest Bull whiskey is completely dry, Salas developed a distinctive syrup using honey, brown sugar and cayenne pepper to sweeten the drink and complement the ginger spice.
“It’s unreal,” he says. “That whiskey is so damn hot you don’t have to use two ounces, so it works better for us in a margin sense.” The drink has been so popular that Salas even had custom branded black metal mugs made to serve it in. “They literally hit a grand slam,” says Salas. “That whiskey is unbelievable.”
For other bars and restaurants considering a collaboration with a distillery, Salas has one key piece of advice: start with what you love. “Figure out what spirits you love to drink at home, because distillers can make anything.”
The Beaufort Bull
- 1.5 ounces Bravest Bull whiskey
- ½ ounce honey-cayenne syrup*
- One splash each orange juice, lime juice, and pineapple juice
- Ginger beer, to top (Goslings or other)
Fill a copper mug with ice. Add the whiskey, syrup, and juices and stir well to combine, then top with the ginger beer.
*To make the honey-cayenne syrup, combine one cup of brown sugar, one cup of honey, two pinches of cayenne pepper, and two cups of water in a medium saucepan. Heat until the honey and sugar are completely dissolved, then let cool and refrigerate.
