Enjoyed: Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Peabody Old Fashioned”. The bar–with much pride, as evidenced by the life-sized statue behind my drink–specializes in cocktails made with various types of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.

Ingredients: Fresh Orange and Cherry crushed together and served with “Peabody Select” Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Bitters, and Sugar Cube.

The occasion: We decided, months ago, that since we were going to be in Nashville for our son’s wedding, we needed to extend the road trip. Our first stop was Memphis. We spent two nights at the iconic Peabody Hotel and had front-row seats in the gorgeous lobby for the morning Duck Parade.

My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was almost too potent for me. This special edition whiskey is advertised as being anywhere from 125 to 140-proof, bold yet smooth. I agree. I did catch the trademark vanilla and toasted oak flavors, but the drink was a bit too intense.

Final thoughts: Memphis has much to offer tourists, especially those who enjoy music and history. “I’ve reason to believe we both will be received in Graceland,” as the song promised, and indeed we were. We also did a sing-a-long bus tour of the city, toured Sun Studios (the birthplace of rock-n-roll), ate ribs at Rendezvous, listened to the blues on Beale Street, and paid our respects at the National Civil Rights Museum. Sadly, we never saw the ghost of Elvis.