Tonight, at the Marriott, a few hundred people will gather to taste 260 different whiskies, and may or may not all live to see tomorrow. JK! But tonight is WhiskyFest, and for the price of admission ($110) you too could enjoy tastes of "the world's finest, rarest, and most expensive, single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, bourbon, Tennessee, Japanese, Welsh, Canadian and other whiskies," as well as a gourmet buffet and, luckily, unlimited amounts of water.

In honor of this annual celebration of the brown liquors, we bring you this week's cocktail from H. Joseph Ehrmann at Elixir. From H.: "I designed it as a holiday cocktail for the upcoming season and with the idea that it would be both a good aperitif for holiday meal as well as a delicious cocktail in an average bar setting." Remember this one, as the cold weather descends...

The Kentucky Pilgrim

1.5 oz. Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Infusion (recipe below)
1 oz. lemon juice
.5 oz. Maraschino Liqueur
.5 oz. demerara syrup

Cold Cocktail Directions
In a mixing glass, add all ingredients, fill with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. Hawthorne strain into a wine glass and garnish with a long lemon twist.

Warm Cocktail Directions
Mix all ingredients in a mug and add 3oz hot water. Stir and garnish with a wide lemon disc twist.

Wild Turkey Thanksgiving Infusion:
In a wide-mouthed glass jar place 1 liter of Wild Turkey 101 and 2 barspoons of cardamom seeds. Close and leave in a dark cool place for 1 day. Strain out cardamom and add 1.5 cups dried unsweetened cranberries and 3 sticks of cinnamon. Close and leave for another two days, agitating once per day. Strain solids and store in the original Wild Turkey bottle with proper labeling.