Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/391612
62 / the tasting panel / october 2014 COVER STORY In keeping with the Charles Goodnight theme, the bottle's label contains an illustration of his great- great-uncle, as well as a Texas Ranger star, which Foley commissioned an artist in Montana, where he lives, to create. Foley also made sure that the proof was high—really high. In this case, 100 proof. "My great-great-uncle was a tough guy and a big bourbon drinker," Foley says. "He wouldn't have wanted an 80-proof bourbon." So far, several bars and restaurants around the country have begun working the new spirit into their bar programs, including Rock Creek Cattle Company, a 30,000-acre historic working cattle ranch in Deer Lodge, Montana, of which Foley is the owner and developer. Carrie Lease, Controller of Rock Creek Cattle Company, has adapted the bourbon into a number of drinks, including a tipple called the Cooper Cup, a blend of Charles Goodnight Kentucky Bourbon, ginger beer and fresh lime. "My first impression of the spirit was that it was very smooth with a great finish," Lease says. "I've always liked the Moscow Mule, which uses vodka, so I decided to substitute bourbon instead." Over the next few years, Foley hopes to grow the business and make it a go-to pour at bars and restaurants across the country. So far, he says, he has enough of a supply that it could potentially last three years or more. "Our game plan has always been that whenever we make an acquisition, we keep all of the brands intact, but consolidate the back office, like human resources, finance and the marketing departments for all of the brands," Foley says. "I'm taking the same model that I've used for my wine business and will have a single group of people working on all brands on the back end. But on the outside, I want each brand to have its own face—its own distiller, its own facility, etc.—when it comes to the consumer." So far, Foley says that most people have been really receptive to the new spirit, and he hopes to add others to his portfolio sometime in the future, including a Tennessee whiskey and a New Zealand gin. But until then, he remains focused on bringing Charles Goodnight Kentucky Bourbon to consumers and sharing his great-great-uncle's epic story—one bottle of bourbon at a time. Rock Creek Longhorn ◗ 1½ oz. Charles Goodnight Bourbon ◗ 1 oz. ginger beer ◗ ½ lime freshly squeezed ◗ Fill a copper mug with ice and build. Garnish with slice of lime. The Kiss of Goodnight ◗ 1½ oz. Charles Goodnight Bourbon ◗ 1½ oz. fresh lemonade ◗ Garnish with twisted peel of lemon and serve in a chilled Martini glass. Carrie Lease, Controller of Rock Creek Cattle Company, with bartender Jackee Beck.