At Lady Jaye in Seattle, co-owner and bar manager Sara Rosales’s The Native Local cocktail is a celebration of local spirits. It comprises Westland American single malt, Woodinville bourbon, and Fast Penny Amaricano and Sennza Finne Summer amari—all of which are produced in Washington state, with the single malt and amari made right in Seattle—plus house-made licorice bitters.
“American single malt is relatively new and I enjoy mixing with it because it brings a new style to cocktails, and my absolute favorite is Westland—I think they’re the best at what they do and are innovating the category,” Rosales says. “I chose Woodinville for similar reasons: Making good bourbon in western Washington is not an easy accomplishment as our weather isn’t as suitable for corn aging as some of the other states in the U.S., and despite this obstacle, Woodinville has created a fantastic bourbon [made with corn from Quincy, Washington] that I love drinking and mixing with.”
Rosales’s drink calls for a split base of the single malt and bourbon, a combination that she says balances the sweetness of the bourbon and the nutty dryness of the single malt. “Since it’s an equal split, not one flavor from either overpowers the other and it allows for the local amari to shine equally,” she says. “I use the bourbon as a synergist for all the ingredients to play well with each other. The single malt and two amari are incredibly bold flavors, and the bourbon helps to facilitate a union for all the ingredients that might otherwise be too overpowering.”
The Native Local
Sara Rosales, co-owner and bar manager at Lady Jaye in Seattle
- 1 oz. Westland American single malt
- 1 oz. Woodinville bourbon
- 3/4 oz. Fast Penny Amaricano amaro
- 1/2 oz. Sennza Finne Summer amaro
- 1/4 oz. Peychaud’s bitters (a suitable alternative for Rosales’s house-made licorice bitters)
- Orange peel for garnish
Stir all ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Express an orange peel over the drink, then use as garnish.
