Last month, I had the honor of being invited to a special Whisky Dinner featuring George Dickel Tennessee Whisky at Ox Restaurant. As part of the event, I was able to sample various whiskies from the Dickel Whisky portfolio (you can see me in green in the second photo!):

• Dickel Foundation 1 is a clear, unaged whisky that pretty much doesn’t seem like a whisky. I would characterize it as more of a category of clear liquors, similar to vodka, gin, rum that you would want to mix in a drink. Although it comes from the same mash bill and cold mellowing process, the flavors are very light.
• Dickel Classic 8 is the the most common, standby Dickel whisky. Dickel whiskies go through a cold mellowing process by which they chill their whisky to 40 degrees F before filling vats with chips of special charcoal from sugar maple timbers, producing a smoother whisky compared to that other Tennessee whisky company that uses the Lincoln County Process as well but not with the steps to chill or fill vats. This classic Dickel is well balanced and easy drinking. The whisky is aged 5 – 7 years.
• Dickel Superior 12 is an aged blended version (barrels are aged 7 – 9 years), giving it more smokiness, the texture gets more soft and round, and there’s a hint of vanilla. I like a lot of smokiness and buttery texture to my drinks (or anything…) so this was my personal favorite.
• Dickel Rye Whisky has a notable spicy taste you can detect. I found this honestly a bit difficult to drink neat like 8 or 12, but it was great when paired with a Breakside Pilsner.
• Dickel Barrel Select are created from only 10 barrels hand selected by the Master Distiller, and all the barrels have already been aged 10 – 12 years. This gives the flavors of the whisky a complexity that includes smoothness like the 8, smokiness and vanilla and some roundness in mouthfeel like the 12, and some spice like the Rye.

Although I enjoyed tasting the little sips of whisky, what made the strongest impression in my mind was this gorgeous looking and incredible tasting cocktail they served using Dickel whisky. It is very simple, with only 4 ingredients, but packs a huge payback in terms of presentation and flavor. It doesn’t hurt that it also uses the Dickel recipe that I liked the most (and now own a bottle of!).  So I thought I would share the Ox Blood Cocktail Recipe with Dickel Whisky…

Ox Blood Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1.3 oz. George Dickel Tennesee Whiskey No. 12
• 1 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1 oz. Beet Syrup (2:1 Beet Juice:Sugar mix)
• Tarragon Sprig

Directions:

1. Fill rocks glass with ice.
2. Shake George Dickel No. 12, beet syrup and lemon juice.
3. Pour over rocks.
4. Garnish with tarragon.

I think Ox Blood Cocktail with Dickel Whisky is a cocktail anyone can enjoy – and if you don’t want to make it yourself, it is still on the menu at Ox or next door to them at Whey Bar. The stunning appearance could work for Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, a Game of Thrones or horror movie themed party with its quite bold appearance… or no occasion or reason at all on any day.

I had the chance to enjoy the drink while eating Ox Restaurant Oysters and Squid & Octopus Salad. The conversation was enthralling, so the cocktail also lasted into the Ox starters like Empanadas of Spiced Beef with green olive and raisin, a Bruschetta of Dungeness crab, avocado, cucumber, radish and shiso, and also their House Baked Ricotta with button mushroom confit in balsamic brown butter and grilled bread – and all the food went well with the cocktail.

Considering how variant in taste those four dishes I mentioned are, the Ox Blood cocktail is incredibly versatile so it’s not just good looking.

As you might not be surprised to hear, grilled food goes really well with whisky in general because of the shared flavor component of the earthiness and smoke. No wonder that Dickel picked Ox Restaurant as the host restaurant. Some of the other dishes of the evening that I enjoyed with various samplings of Dickel whisky, served neat:

• Starter of Spicy Braised Beef Tripe & Octopus, Mint Aïoli, Crispy Sunchoke
• Charcuterie of Smoked Beef Tongue en Vinagreta, Horseradish, Ensalada Rusa, Sweetbread Croutons
• From the Grill dishes of Wild Alaskan Halibut on the bone with Nettle Pistou, Lemon, as well as House Chorizo, there was Beef Ribeye and Skirt Steak, and Maple-Brine Pork Loin Chop
• Side dishes like
  • Leaf Lettuces, Mozzarella Milanesa, Spicy Anchovy Vinaigrette, Marcona Almond and Avocado
  • Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Everything Bagel Seasoning, Chive Mascarpone, and Smoked Salmon Roe
  • Fried Russet Potatoes, Horseradish Aïoli, Dill
  • Maple-Glazed Heirloom Carrots, Chèvre, Tarragon, Truffle-Salted Pistachios
  • Roasted Broccolini, Charred Poblano Romesco, Toasted Pecan, Pickled Red Onion

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And then there was dessert:

• Pineapple-Cucumber Sorbet with Mandarin Orange Granita
• Bittersweet Chocolate-Olive Oil Cake, Fudge Sauce, Peppermint Ice Cream, Molasses Anglaise
• Warm Hazelnut Brown Butter Torte, Honey-Chamomile Ice Cream, Honeycomb Candy

Even served family style, I was not the only one staggering out the doors at the end of the meal just completely stuffed with food. Family style is definitely the way to go with Ox Restaurant because we got to try so many things, as you can see!

Have you ever heard of or had Dickel whisky? What do you think of the Ox Blood Cocktail idea?

Have you dined at Ox Restaurant before, what did you think of their Argentine inspired Portland food?

Have you ever paired whisky and grilled meats or vegetables before such as at a BBQ? It’s definitely an upgrade on normal bbq beer… though since beer also can serve as a beer back after whisky, maybe you could serve both?

Disclosure: I was treated to a whisky sampling and meal that was hosted by George Dickel Tennessee Whisky and Serious Barbecue at Ox Restaurant with talks by Dickel spokesperson Doug Kragel and Adam Perry Lang promoting Dickel Whisky. However, I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own. Thank you Taylor Strategy for providing the Ox Blood Cocktail Recipe with Dickel Whisky to me and the first three photos of this post.