Ward Eight

About the Ward Eight

The Ward Eight is a shaken cocktail built on Timber Creek Florida Black Rye Whiskey, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, orange juice, and simple syrup, strained into a chilled coupe. It belongs to the whiskey sour family, distinguished by the deep, tart sweetness the pomegranate molasses brings that standard grenadine cannot quite match. Lemon and orange juice supply most of the drink’s citrus brightness, while the pomegranate molasses adds a tangy, slightly tannic sweetness with real depth, and the simple syrup smooths out any remaining sharp edges. Timber Creek’s black rye, distilled and blended on the Crestview farm through the distillery’s PureBlend process, brings enough peppery grain character to keep the drink from tasting purely like spiked juice, which is a real risk in a recipe built around this much citrus.

To build the Ward Eight, shake the whiskey, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, orange juice, and simple syrup hard with ice to fully combine, then strain into a chilled coupe. The finished drink should look a deep ruby color with a light foam cap from the shake. Its sweet tart, citrus forward profile pairs well with roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and baked ham, echoing many of the same flavors found on a holiday table, and it also works nicely alongside cheddar cheese or pecan pie. Because pomegranate molasses varies quite a bit in tartness and thickness between brands, taste the shaken mixture before straining and adjust with a touch more simple syrup if needed to keep the sweet and tart elements in balance.

Because the drink’s ruby color is part of its appeal, use a very clear ice cube or fresh crushed ice when serving so the color reads clearly through the glass rather than getting muddied by cloudy ice. Because its sweetness can mask how strong it actually is, enjoy the Ward Eight in moderation and drink responsibly.

The Ward Eight is a shaken cocktail built on Timber Creek Florida Black Rye Whiskey, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, orange juice, and simple syrup, strained into a chilled coupe. It belongs to the whiskey sour family, distinguished by the deep, tart sweetness the pomegranate molasses brings that standard grenadine cannot quite match. Lemon and orange juice supply most of the drink’s citrus brightness, while the pomegranate molasses adds a tangy, slightly tannic sweetness with real depth, and the simple syrup smooths out any remaining sharp edges. Timber Creek’s black rye, distilled and blended on the Crestview farm through the distillery’s PureBlend process, brings enough peppery grain character to keep the drink from tasting purely like spiked juice, which is a real risk in a recipe built around this much citrus.

To build the Ward Eight, shake the whiskey, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, orange juice, and simple syrup hard with ice to fully combine, then strain into a chilled coupe. The finished drink should look a deep ruby color with a light foam cap from the shake. Its sweet tart, citrus forward profile pairs well with roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and baked ham, echoing many of the same flavors found on a holiday table, and it also works nicely alongside cheddar cheese or pecan pie. Because pomegranate molasses varies quite a bit in tartness and thickness between brands, taste the shaken mixture before straining and adjust with a touch more simple syrup if needed to keep the sweet and tart elements in balance.

Because the drink’s ruby color is part of its appeal, use a very clear ice cube or fresh crushed ice when serving so the color reads clearly through the glass rather than getting muddied by cloudy ice. Because its sweetness can mask how strong it actually is, enjoy the Ward Eight in moderation and drink responsibly.