Erin Petrey - BourbonSphere

Brie Hayden: Bottle Artist Extraordinaire

And then the big break came with her second piece, which launched her to the next level artistically. In 2020, her piece caught the eye of a partner with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Teremana Tequila, who commissioned her to draw the celeb’s tequila bottle to be given as a gift for his birthday.

When the pandemic hit, and her museum job as an artist with Madame Tussaud's in Downtown DC evaporated, Brie Hayden needed not only a new employer but another way to channel her creativity. Brie had always been an artist but really leaned into her now-signature hyperrealistic technique soon after losing her day job. She toyed with her newfound style, drawn to how the tiniest of details can truly bring a work to life.

To truly visually capture the smallest of nuances, all of Brie's works are drawn completely in graphite. "Working in graphite allows for a unique focus on the interplay of light and shadow. By stripping away color, the spotlight is put on the grayscale values, allowing me to share my admiration of sharing with my audience." Her use of fine-tipped pencils allow her the utmost control and precision to render pieces that you could easily mistake for a photograph.

She was rather surprised when her very first bottle drawing sold. Clearly there was a market, or at least a market of one! And then the big break came with her second piece, which launched her to the next level artistically. In 2020, her piece caught the eye of a partner with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Teremana Tequila, who commissioned her to draw the celeb's tequila bottle to be given as a gift for his birthday. To her surprise and delight, the former WWE champ shared this unique gift on his nearly 400 million follower-strong Instagram account and commissioned her to draw more for him. Needless to say, this was an incredible boon for Brie's business.

Brie has come a long way from her first few bottles. She now exhibits her art across the burgeoning art scene in her current home of Richmond, VA, at multiple festivals (such as the upcoming Boardwalk Art Show in Virginia Beach), and is a member of The Art League Gallery at the renowned Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. Beyond her shows and gallery features, she still works mostly on commission through her website, spreading desire for her work via word of mouth from happy customers. I, myself, recently commissioned her to memorialize my family's former whiskey brand in graphite. And it goes without saying that her one-of-a-kind custom pieces make exceptional gifts and are perfect for distilleries to memorialize their brands through artwork.

Brie has found a real niche in depicting everyday objects even beyond liquor bottles, such as bottlecaps and silverware. Her intensely realistic style highlights and conveys the beauty in even the most seemingly mundane of objects. But she has found unique joy in depicting liquor bottles, especially those steeped in history. She has recreated numerous pre-Prohibition bottles, using a large collection she recently photographed for inspiration. The way she masters the depth and light of the peeling edges of a label, the long-earned patina of foggy glass, and the delicate tendrils of early 20th-century fonts is masterful; you will no doubt mistake some of her work for a stylized photograph. And Brie loves the history behind them, too, eager to dig in and find any mention of long-extinct brands in the historical record.

She also does a fair amount of pet portraiture, though she doesn't want to be pigeonholed as a pet artist, which can be a rather easy specialty to fall into. What can I say? As an obsessive dog mom, my ears perked up and my eyes twinkled when she said she drew pups. People love to buy pictures of their furry friends. (And I still may try to commission her to sketch my dog.)

Brie's pieces - which are all free hand drawn, not traced from a photograph - take about 20-30 hours to create, which she spreads across 4-8 weeks. Each depiction comes matted and framed, ready to be placed on display. And no: they are not cheap, but they are painstakingly crafted one-of-a-kind pieces of art perfect for any bourbon lover. Each piece runs $400 for a 9 x 12 up to $2,000 for a 22 x 30. The good news for her fans, though, is that she recently launched a line of bourbon bottle prints that cost $40 for an 8 x 10 or $60 for an 11 x 14. And they are available just in time for the holidays!

Brie is a true talent and I cannot wait to see what she does next. I love supporting women in the arts, especially those who select subjects so near and dear to my heart. Be sure to check out Brie's work as the perfect gift for any booze lover in your life.

Angostura 7-Year-Old Rum Review

Angostura doesn’t just make bitters; they are also a robust rum distillery. The Angostura 7-year-old rum is a great pour for those who are rum-curious or want to experience a bourbon cocktail in a fresh way.

In the world of cocktails, Angostura is about as OG as one can get. Even neophytes recognize that signature oversized label and bright yellow cap and know it’s a staple on any bar worth its salt. Hell, they even sell it at the small format Target near me. Ango is ubiquitous; anyone who knows anything about cocktails knows the name. I call it the Frank’s Red Hot of bitters because I put that shit on everything.

Angostura, named after Angostura, Colombia (today, Ciudad Bolívar), was a product birthed as many old-school, now cocktail-stalwart products were: medical necessity. A German doctor, Johann Siegert, was hired by Simón Bolívar to care for his troops during the war for independence against the Spanish. Noticing that many troops suffered from gastric maladies, the good Doctor crafted a potent tincture he called “Amargo Aromático” - chock full of several herbs and spices to rival the Colonel’s - to alleviate the tummy troubles of the Libertadores.

And so, in 1824, what would become the world’s most famous bitters, was born.
But many don’t know that for over 75 years, Angostura has been cooking up much more than their quintessential cocktail seasoning. Their Trinidad & Tobago distillery also churns out over a dozen types and flavors of rum, which, according to them, is the “world’s most awarded rum range.” They are now the largest producer of Trini rum, so much so that they need to source sugar cane from other locales, such as the DR. And, of course, they use this rum as the alcohol base for their bitters line.

BOTTLE DETAILS

DISTILLER: The House of Angostura, Trinidad & Tobago
AGE: 7 years
PROOF: 80 Proof
MSRP: $34.99
BUY ONLINE: Widely available in liquor stores, but you can find it online here.

ERIN'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Curious drinkers looking to expand their sips into a new category and Old Fashioned lovers.

WORTH THE PRICE: Absolutely. I have seen the bottle as low as $27, which is a great price for a 7-year-old rum, especially for cocktails.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle. The perfect pour for neat drinking at home and mixing in various drinks.

OVERALL: The folks at Angostura were kind enough to allow me to sample two of their expressions: Angostura 1919 and Angostura 7-Year-Old. I like rum, especially in cocktails and the older expressions for sipping, but I had not had the opportunity to sample Ango’s distillate before. For years, rum was a spirit I had little interest in. It was always in drinks that were too sweet, frozen (I don’t love frozen things), or full of pineapple (also not my favorite). But as any good Curious Drinker does, I gave it another chance.

I was originally drawn to rechallenging rum due to its versatility in cocktails. Still, I quickly realized it was an excellent lower-proof dark spirit to enjoy when I wanted something a little less robust alcohol-wise but still quenched that desire for richness and caramel on the palate. The molasses and secondary aging in ex-bourbon barrels yield a spirit that is perfect for a bourbon lover to explore. One important note, though, is that the majority of color in rum is actually due to adding caramel color (in this case, made from white sugar), which is not the case for bourbons.

Angostura’s rums are solid and very approachable. There’s not a noticeable “funk” to them, but they are still tasty. This may be because they are produced via column still, whereas some of the more “traditional” and different-tasting rums are produced via the older method using a pot still.

I both tasted the rums neat and mixed into an Old Fashioned. The 7-year was better suited for the Old Fashioned, as the longer-aged, richer, fuller flavors hold up better against the bitters. I used Angostura Aromatic bitters and homemade Demerara vanilla simple syrup (recipe below). 1919 held up better in a Mojito and lent a little more body than a white rum. Angostura is a solid bet for the flavor, variety, and price if you are a rum drinker or just a curious bourbon drinker trying to expand your repertoire. It’s great in cocktails, and the 7-year would be a fantastic starting point for sipping rums. It’s not expensive, not overly sweet, delivers on those vanilla and oak flavors, and can be used for a less boozy OF.

BRAND NOTES

Angostura^® 7 year-old-rum is a powerful, robust and flavoursome rum. Angostura^® 7-year-old rum is packed with mouthwatering flavours that include maple, chocolate, honey and toffee and presents a rich, full-bodied taste that tapers off into the classic rum finish.

This silky smooth rum comes into its own after a minute or so in the glass, and should be first sampled neat to allow the rum to reveal its true characteristic and provenance.

It can be enjoyed neat as a sipping rum, or over ice, equally it can mix a stunning contemporary take on a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned.

Colour: A rich hue of deep mahogany.

Nose: An enticing bouquet of creamy aromas of vanilla, chocolate, molasses, espresso, spice and oak.

Palate: Packed with toasted bakery like flavours of chocolate, honey, toffee, caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts.

Finish: Rich medium body.

RUM OLD FASHIONED

RUM OLD FASHIONED INGREDIENTS

2 oz Angostura 7-Year-Old or other aged rum
1/4 oz rich simple syrup*
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 lime

RUM OLD FASHIONED PREPARATION
Combine rum, rich simple syrup, and bitters in a mixing glass. Add ice. Stir gently for 30 seconds. Strain into rocks or Old Fashioned glass. Express a lime peel across the cocktail, discard. Garnish with fresh lime peel.

Optional: serve over one large ice cube.

*My Rich Simple Syrup recipe is in my Ultimate Guide to the Old Fashioned. I recommend using Demerara sugar for this cocktail, as it has a higher molasses content that better complements the aged rum. Once the syrup is made, I recommend placing 1-2 whole vanilla beans (split down the middle with a knife to expose the caviar) in the syrup and allowing it to infuse for a few days in the fridge for a richer flavor.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.

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Every year, it seems another cocktail is the target of inexplicable ire and intense kvetching by both the press and certain bartenders. In 2019, the Aperol Spritz found a laser sight on itself, being called “not a good drink” by the New York Times. This statement is patently false, as the Aperol Spritz is a simple, refreshing cocktail that is a welcome refreshment on a summer day. The NYT cited mostly issues with the quality of the individual ingredients (namely gin and Prosecco), but this can be said of literally any drink.

Holiday Spice Old Fashioned Recipe

This time of year, I am frequently asked for holiday cocktail recipes. Though I have dozens of ideas, I love to come back to a simple twist on my all time favorite cocktail, the Old Fashioned. You can add holiday flair to cocktails in a number of ways, from adding Champagne, making a drink red, garnishing with a sprig of rosemary, or even adding a little cocktail glitter. I certainly do lean on some of those options for some drinks, but my favorite way to imbue a drink with holiday cheer is by adding cozy, warming spices.

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If you know any whiskey cocktail, it should be the Old Fashioned. Made well, the simple marriage of whiskey, sugar, and bitters yields one of the most delightful cocktails you will ever enjoy. Made poorly, it will undoubtedly sour you on the drink, and for some, whiskey cocktails in general. The story of the Old Fashioned is the story of cocktail culture in America. Every whiskey lover should have a good understanding of its history and an excellent recipe in their back pocket. So join me as we dive into the history, basics, variations, and more and become an expert on what I consider the most incredible whiskey drink of all time: the Old Fashioned.