Drink: Honey Bear at the Cresheim Valley Grain Exchange

One key to a great bourbon cocktail is the ability to embellish the spirit at its core - the whiskey - without burying it beneath too many flourishes.

I'd have natural concerns about oversweetening any concoction, especially one with a name like Honey Bear.

But Jessica Graaf's creation at bourbon-centric Cresheim Valley Grain Exchange resonated with simplicity and perfect balance. She infuses local honey with sage, then adds just enough of it, with an orange twist, to an excellent 12-year-old Elijah Craig.

Shaken and strained to a little froth over ice, a tip of the tumbler washes across the tongue first with distinctive oak and toffee bourbon notes, then flashes sweet honey, followed by herbaceously savory sage.

The last note, though, toasty and lingering vanilla spice, is good old Elijah, calling you right back for another sip. - Craig LaBan

 
Honey Bear, $10, Cresheim Valley Grain Exchange, 7152 Germantown Ave., 267-766-2502.