Jim Beam Rye is a solid, low-cost American whiskey, but a little too one-dimensional for simply sipping.  I use it in punch recipes, and following the same process I used for Ginger Infused Vodka, I roasted fresh ginger and let it sit in rye with raw sugar for two weeks. The end result was spicy and complex, lending itself to a wide array of classic and unconventional cocktails.

Rooted Rye

• 1 750-ml bottle of Jim Beam Rye
• 2.5-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup raw rock sugar

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Pour out 3 ounces of rye and make yourself an Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
3. Wrap ginger in aluminum foil and roast for 1 hour while drinking your cocktail.
4. Allow ginger to cool enough to handle, peel and slice thinly across the grain.  Cut again so that pieces will fit into bottle without being forced.
5. Add ginger and sugar to bottle, replace cap and let sit 2 weeks, swirling daily.
6. Strain through a coffee filter, rinse remnants from bottle and funnel rye back into bottle.

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