Enjoyed: Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Listed on the menu: No, but our server assured us that the bartender makes a great Old Fashioned.

Ingredients: Towpath Bourbon, demerara simple syrup, bitters, Luxardo cherry, orange slice.

The occasion: We have driven through Ohio so many times (mostly on our trips to Indiana), but this time, north-central Ohio was our final destination. On Saturday and Sunday, we watched Indy cars race at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course. On Monday, we toured the Ohio State Reformatory, now famous as a filming location for The Shawshank Redemption. (We spent three and a half hours there! Fascinating!) Later that afternoon, we arrived at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Admittedly, we doubted the appeal of a park located between the industrial hubs of Cleveland and Akron, but the park exceeded our expectations. Over the next days, we hiked to a covered bridge, to a glorious waterfall, and through dramatic rocky cliffs and ledges. We rode a vintage train and walked along the former Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath. And we learned how the Beaver Marsh area and the Cuyahoga River (which no longer catches on fire and is actually quite pretty) became driving forces leading to the Clean Water Act and other environmental protection laws.

My rating: **** out of 5. No frills or exotic extras here–the cocktail ingredients and presentation were classic, and I was pleased. The brand name of the spirits was perfectly chosen, since the national park next door was created around the towpath that once linked Lake Erie at Cleveland to the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The whiskey was 21% rye, so I tasted a clove-like “bite” at the start, followed by vanilla and a hint of pecan.

Final thoughts: Although Cuyahoga Valley officially became a national park in 2000, the 33,000 acres were designated a national recreation area back in 1974 by President Nixon, as part of the “Parks to the People” policy. That was a great idea! How wonderful that this peaceful park exists so close to such a large urban area.