TIME TO EXPLORE!

Welcome to the additional content for your luxury Cocktail Hamper. Here you can learn how to make your cocktail, explore its history, and discover the stunning ingredients that go into it. Enjoy!

Hamper Contents

• 1x Transatlantic Single Malt Whisky, 70cl, 48% abv

• 1x Angostura Bitters, 20cl, 44.7% abv

• 1x Crystal Tulip Glass

• 1x Stainless Spirit Measure

• 1x Twisted Stem Bar Spoon

• 1x Serving Guide

Your Cocktail

Ready to make your cocktail? Before you begin, be sure to source the starred items below - everything else is provided for you.

Ingredients

• 50ml Cooper King ‘Transatlantic’ Single Malt Whisky

• 3 dashes Angostura Bitters

• * 1 tsp sugar (demerara preferred)

• * Orange peel, to garnish

Glassware: Tulip glass

Method: Reserve the orange peel for garnish. Add the rest of the ingredients to a tulip glass, along with one large ice cube. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the drink chilled. Garnish with the orange peel.

Cocktail History

The Old Fashioned cocktail traces its origins to the early 1800s, aligning with the first documented definition of a "cock-tail" in 1806 as a mix of spirits, sugar, water and bitters.

By the 1860s, cocktails had become more elaborate, incorporating liqueurs like orange curaçao and absinthe. In response, patrons began requesting a return to the simpler, traditional cocktail, leading to the term "old-fashioned." The earliest known use of "old-fashioned" in reference to a cocktail dates back to 1880, with recipes appearing in bartending guides by the late 1880s. The Old Fashioned has since become a classic, maintaining its popularity into the 21st century.

It's a favourite here at the distillery. The Transatlantic release – with its notes of fruit, vanilla, cocoa and toasted oak – makes a smashing Old Fashioned.

Ingredient Focus: Cooper King ‘Transatlantic’ Single Malt Whisky

Join us on a voyage - from the rolling vineyards of Bordeaux to the bourbon-soaked plains of Kentucky - to explore a captivating dram matured in casks from these two charismatic regions. Transatlantic is the second adventure in the Expedition Series of whiskies; a journey of discovery through the finest casks in our warehouse.

“Premium Bordeaux wine casks bring notes of toasted oak, cocoa and stewed fruit, whilst the tannins integrate wonderfully with our complex and fruity spirit. Using different cask-toast levels creates a rich depth of flavour, reminiscent of our time exploring bold, wine-cask matured whiskies in Tasmania. Finally, we rounded off with layers of vanilla and cinnamon from Kentucky bourbon casks.” - Abbie Jaume, Head Distiller

Tasting notes. Nose: fruit compote, vanilla and toasted oak. Taste: rich malt, cocoa, parkin and butterscotch. Finish: long and complex with vanilla and cinnamon.

Positive impact. £5 from every bottle is donated to our charity partner, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, to fund life-changing apprenticeships for young people in rural areas, to help protect vital UK habitats.

• Learn more about how we make our whisky.

• Read more about our sustainability actions.

• View this whisky’s Spirit Specifics.

Hamper Partner: Angostura Bitters

Angostura bitters were developed in 1824 by Dr. Johann Siegert, a German surgeon general stationed in the Venezuelan town of Angostura (now Ciudad Bolívar). He created the bitters as a medicinal tonic for the soldiers.

In 1830, he established a distillery to produce the bitters commercially, and in 1850, began exporting them around the world. This timed well with the rise in popularity of the cocktail, which called for their use; the business boomed.

Following his death in 1870, his two sons relocated the distillery to Trinidad, where production of the family’s secret recipe continues today.

You may have noticed the oversized label. This came about by accident, when one son redesigned the label, the other the bottle, without consulting each other. They decided to stick with the distinctive appearance!