The iconoclastic cocktail.
Shhh. Don't tell anyone you read this here. Most of all, don't tell those Bourbon connoisseurs, those aficionados of Single Barrel Bourbons, those missionaries of mash, those high priests of the distiller's art who proclaim that only unadulterated Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey will ever be allowed to cross their lips and enter into the palace where Prince Palate resides.

To these purists, the idea of using a fine Single Barrel Bourbon to mix a COCKTAIL is enough to stir up a good case of apoplexy. It also flies in the face of just about everything you've read in the Bourbon Country Herald since the first issue was published in 1997. But hey, times they are a changin' so the cliché goes.

The fact that a well-made cocktail is a most enjoyable indulgence on the right occasion does suggest that the better the whiskey the better the cocktail. Or to paraphrase a certain popular pizza slogan, "Better ingredients, better cocktail."

So, if you'd like to throw off those shackles of tradition and mix a drink that's more than enjoyable, but memorable, too, try this recipe for a . . .

Single Barrel Bourbon Manhattan

• 2 1/2 oz Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Be gutsy and pour your favorite Single Barrel. You only live once.
• 3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
• 1 Dash Angostura Bitters
• 1 Maraschino cherry
• 1 Twist Orange peel

Pour the Bourbon and Vermouth over ice in a mixing glass or small pitcher. Add a dash of the Angostura and stir lively. Then strain into a chilled martini style cocktail glass and garnish with the cherry. And if you want to add a little extra touch of magic, rub the rim of the glass with a twist of orange peel-just enough to release the oils, but don't drop it in.