Enjoyed: Sunday, October 20, 2024.

Listed on the menu: Yes, on the seasonal menu as “Anniversary Old Fashioned”

Ingredients: Rock Town 14th Anniversary Bourbon, simple syrup, Angostura and orange bitters, orange rind.

The occasion: The road trip continued on. After Hot Springs, we drove to the Talimena National Scenic Byway, which winds into southeast Oklahoma and through the Ouchita Mountains, one of the highest ranges between the Appalachians and the Rockies. (And we always pictured Oklahoma as totally flat and dry!) The fall colors were lovely and the views from the overlooks were impressive. We spent the night in a cowboy-themed inn in Talihina, Oklahoma. (Neither of us had ever been to the Sooner State before this.) The next morning we headed back east to North Little Rock, to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, home to a World War II submarine. I still don’t know how I climbed that narrow vertical ladder back out of the submarine, but I knew I needed a drink to celebrate that feat! This distillery was only a few blocks from our lodging in the Governor’s Mansion Historic District of Little Rock, so we walked over.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The drink was a touch fruity with a lingering velvety finish. A few days earlier, as we sat in robes and waited for our massages in Hot Springs, I picked up The Arkansas Times and happened to read an article about Rock Town’s Abi Rogne, named the best bartender in the state. (Wow!) To my delight, Abi was working behind the bar the night we visited, and she made all four of our drinks. (Don’t judge. We weren’t driving and I had climbed up that tall ladder, remember?) I asked about this particular whiskey, and Abby told me it was aged in Sauterne barrels and that I should expect peachy flavors. She was right! Yum!

Final thoughts: Arkansas has more “dry” counties (34 out of 75) than any other state in the USA. We were not aware of this until we saw signs along the highways informing us that “the next 2 counties are dry, so buy your beer here now”. On this particular Sunday morning, we stopped for gas and decided to purchase some local beer in a “non-dry” county. We brought the six-pack up to the counter, and the clerk gave us the stink-eye and tersely stated, “You can’t buy beer. It’s Sunday.” We sheepishly apologized to him and told him we were from out-of-state and ignorant of local laws. Apparently, you CAN buy alcohol on Sundays in Arkansas only if it’s “on premises”, such as a distillery, so we were in luck when we reached Rock Town. We were able to purchase a bottle to bring home. Whew.