Christmas on the Rocks

Selecting the right gift for a man can be ‘whiskey’ if you’re not sure where to start.

Fortunately, there are great options in the Platte Valley for the man in your life—whether husband, dad, brother or son—who has started getting into the world of whiskey. From amateurs to aficionados, you really need look no further than Valley Liquor and the Lucky Pearl.

Where to Start?

What whiskey to buy for a gift all depends on where the person you’re buying for is on their travels through the spirit world.

If they’re just starting out, you really can’t go wrong with Jameson Irish Whiskey. This triple-distilled whiskey is usually the best way for the uninitiated to begin their journey. With the whiskey being triple-distilled, its flavor is much more subtle and will train the taste buds to detect those subtle notes they will find in more complex flavors down the road.

A possible next step on the whiskey road is with Swear Jar Canadian Whiskey, the cornerstone of the entire Swear Jar line. Described as “smooth, light and next-level fabulous” by the company, this Canadian Whiskey brings with it notes of caramel and pepper with aromas of oak, ginger, clove and just a touch of vanilla.

After getting familiar with either the Irish or Canadian Whiskey, the next potential step is bourbon. When it comes to this American Whiskey, there are plenty of options to choose from at Valley Liquor. Almost so many options that it could be overwhelming. There are some options you can’t go wrong with, though.

Buffalo Trace is one of the most popular bourbons on the market and with good reason. It’s an easy sip on either a cold winter night or a warm summer evening. It’s also the favorite whiskey of New York Times bestselling author C.J. Box. Another option is Horse Soldier, which brings a complex mixture of butterscotch, oak and stone fruits.

Wyoming Whiskey or Whiskies

What do you do if your whiskey drinker wants the taste of the Cowboy State?

Well, Valley Liquors has you covered there, too.

There is, of course, Wyoming Whiskey on the shelves. While there are some who still have memories of the first batch being released more than a decade ago, the following batches have come out a little less hot and it has found its niche in the spirit world.

Since then, other distilleries have popped up around the state. On the shelves you will also find some bottles from Pine Bluffs Distillery with either their wheated bourbon or their rye whiskey. Both of these make for some good sipping whiskeys or—for those who like to add a little kick to their pies—can be used in pumpkin or apple pies.

You don’t need to go as far as Pine Bluffs for a local whiskey, though. In fact, you need go no further than the Snowy Range with Brush Creek Distilleries. Located at The Farm at Brush Creek, Brush Creek Distilleries is bound to be a gem of the Platte Valley. Whether you’re looking for a straight bourbon or a straight rye, Brush Creek Distilleries has both.

Select Taste

If your whiskey drinker is of more discerning taste and likes to have the hard-to-find in their collection, then you can’t go wrong with the Brush Creek Distillery’s barrel select for Valley Liquor. You won’t be able to find this whiskey anywhere else in the Valley or Wyoming.

Each barrel select is carefully selected by Brush Creek Distillery as they combine nine different whiskey barrels from three different mash builds and age them for another three years. Like a snowflake, no barrel is like the other.

After it’s been aged, the experienced staff at Valley Liquor taste the different barrels available to determine what they think will be best for their customers. You can’t get more local or better service than that!

Stone Cold

Once you’ve bought the whiskey, there is still the little problem of what to serve it in. While someone may be just fine with pouring their whiskey into a mason jar with a few ice cubes, why not go all out?

That’s where The Lucky Pearl comes in!

In the men’s section of the Ordunos’ retail store, you’ll find R.O.C.K.S. brand whiskey stones. These stones are ideal for the whiskey fan in your life. Ice cubes melt and water down the whiskey while the stones not only chill the liquor, but help showcase many of the complex flavors they will find in their whiskeys and bourbons.

The Lucky Pearl also carries whiskey decanters, stone glasses and shot glasses.