Kat, our Contributing Editor, recently had a big decision to make – where to have her bachelorette party! She wanted a location convenient for her bridesmaids who were scattered along around the Eastern seaboard from New York to New Orleans. Her requirements? A place with good food and great drinks. Naturally, she landed on Louisville, Kentucky. This lead to the most memorable part of the trip, a bourbon tour complete with bottling her own bottle of whiskey.

Kat knew that bottle had to make an appearance again on her wedding day, but sipping straight whiskey before her vows didn’t seem prudent. So she reached out to a good friend, Ashley Rose Conway, to develop something more appropriate for midday drinks. Ashley develops recipes and styles cocktails for brands, events, and blogs. She also founded Craft & Cocktails, a site devoted to the art of making and shaking. Whether it’s classic drinks, barware, favorite watering holes, or new concoctions, she covers all things beautiful and boozy so was the perfect lady for the job.

Along with a reputation as a stiff drink, bourbon can often be seen as a fall/winter spirit. But, when paired with seasonal fruit juices and other fruit-based liquors, it goes from winter to a refreshing summer drink in snap. This cocktail is no exception! It uses a lesser-known liquor, Creme de Noyaux, whose nutty, fruity flavor is great in summertime drinks. It makes a lovely alternative to orgeat (an almond based syrup) in tiki drinks. It also works well in place of bitters in some drinks as it also has a bitter note to it. Plus, it looks lovely on your bar cart!

We think this cocktail is too good to be restricted to one wedding day, but you’ll have to try it and tell us what you think.

The Pre-Processional
1 oz Whiskey
1/2 oz Creme de Noyuax
1 oz Orange juice
3 oz Pineapple juice
1 dash Bitters (optional)

Mix all together in shaker or in a glass and add ice. Makes one. Cheers!