Two Bitch Spirits blends sweet, smooth bourbon in historic Eureka.
The desert giveth, and the desert taketh away. It’s a truth held by Lauren and Joe Luby, whose beloved dog, Mocha Bean, ran off into the sagebrush and was never to be found again. Months later, as they continued to search shelters for Mocha, they came across two Dobermann puppies that had been abandoned in the desert — the sassy sisters that would go on to inspire the Lubys to create their spirits company, Two Bitch Spirits.
Every year, the Lubys host a whiskey party to which friends bring their rarest and best bottles for sampling at the bar the couple built together in their home in Eureka, Nev. — a town of roughly 400 people nestled against the Diamond Mountains and cut through by the Loneliest Road in America (U.S. Route 50). With two new furry family members to introduce in 2015, Lauren designed an invitation that looked like a whiskey label featuring the pups, Sage and Scarlett.
“We put ‘aged seven years’ because the girls were turning one soon, and lines like ‘small batch with bite’ and ‘you’ll be seeing double by the time you leave.’ Everyone who was RSVPing was saying, ‘I can’t find that Two Bitch Bourbon on any of the shelves at the store,’” Lauren recalls with a laugh.
By the end of the night, the partygoers had convinced the Lubys that they needed to bring the brand to life.
In an old stone church building erected in Eureka in 1881, Lauren and Joe blend three lines of bourbon from barrels they source from around the country.
“We have distilleries around the country that we work with. We either have something made to our specifications, or we happen across them and they have some barrels that we really, really like the taste of, and we’ll import them into Nevada,” Lauren explains. “We are constantly traveling. Oftentimes, it’s on the West Coast, but the barrel hunting goes on around the country.”
Eureka Gold, Two Bitch’s easy-drinking bourbon, is 92 proof after aging three to four years, producing a sweet, smooth spirit with whiffs of cinnamon, honeysuckle, and oak that mingle with the flavors of caramel, sweet corn, peach, and toasted oak. Small Batch With Bite is a unique blend of bourbon created by the Lubys that varies with each release, but always comes out at 100 proof. They hand number every bottle by batch.
“The third line of bourbon we have is Pack Leader Reserve, and we reserve this for the most remarkable of bourbon barrels that we come across. They are aged between nine and 14 years and released at various proofs,” Lauren says. “Those are very special releases, and they don’t come along that often. We’re not even doing one this year because we haven’t come across any barrels this year that we deem worthy.”
With plans to continue renovating the old stone church into a tasting room and event space, the Lubys have a lot to be excited about for Two Bitch Spirits, including regular pop-ups in Reno and beyond to spread the word about their products and raise money for local animal shelters.
“We want to build a company that brings the best bourbon to market in a fun, sassy way while supporting the communities where it’s sold,” Lauren adds.
Claire McArthur is a freelance writer and newbie to the bourbon world, but she loves the idea of mixing up a maple hound (recipe below) and enjoying it fireside this winter, sandwiched between her two doggos.
Maple Hound
(courtesy of Lauren and Joe Luby, founders, Two Bitch Spirits in Eureka. Serves 1)
Two Bitch Bourbon paired with maple wood smoke and rich maple syrup creates an irresistible cocktail. We’ve added this gem to our winter cocktail list, but it’s a year-round classic! We find that it pairs exceedingly well with bacon dishes.
2 ounces Two Bitch Bourbon
1 ounce real maple syrup
1 ounce fresh orange juice
Maple wood smoke (or a try a different type of wood — all optional)
⅛ teaspoon orange zest
Orange peel, for garnish
Ice
To a shaker, add ice, bourbon, maple syrup, and fresh orange juice. Shake to frost. Strain into rocks glass over block of ice or into your favorite cocktail glass. Smoke with maple wood for 15 seconds or per your smoker’s instructions (this step is optional). Sprinkle with fresh orange zest, garnish with orange peel, and serve.
