Old Dominick Distillery exists today because Chris and Alex Canale were inspired by a cocktail they discovered 133 years after their great grandfather invented, bottled, and sold it from the streets of Downtown Memphis. The Craft Minds at Watson’s Shack & Rail, Punch! Bar & Lounge, and Big Grove Tavern have come together to support downtown unity and this piece of cocktail history with collaboration on the Downtown Unity Barrel Pick—available at all three locations in Downtown Champaign, Illinois. While the same bottle is available at all three locations for the same price, each cocktail experience is unique.

The Punch! Minds use Poli Elixir Camomilla to reunite Old Dominick whiskey with its Italian heritage. This chamomile liqueur adds uplifting floral and subtle fruit notes similar to the original Memphis Toddy. Bravo Amaro #14 balances this cocktail’s profile with the dry earthy flavors of Guatemalan chocolate, thyme, and sarsaparilla.

In 1880 Dominick Canale began a legacy with whiskey cocktails sold from a fruit cart in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2023 this legacy inspired three independent businesses in Downtown Champaign, Illinois to unite and offer their guests a three-generation story, not just a bourbon. In the same way that Old Dominick invites the world to, “Share a Sip of Pure Memphis,” the Downtown Unity Barrel invites all who live in and travel through Champaign to share a sip of downtown unity.