The Cider Mill (Scotch and Cider Syrup Cocktail)

I failed at posting a Hanukkah recipe. I had one in my head but never got around to making it. I guess I'll just have to save it for next year. This seems to always happen to me when it comes to holiday recipes. Even this post, a cocktail to ring in the New Year, almost didn't happen. Vijay, Brandon and I had talked a few weeks ago about doing another What I Drink post, since we had such a blast with the first one. We're a few guys who not only love food, but enjoy getting creative with our cocktails. And whenever a holiday comes around, you can bet that the three of us have come up with a creative beverage to go with the celebratory feast. But, as I said, we were pretty close to not succeeding in our second installment.

I'm so glad we stuck to our guns, though. Each of us have come up with drinks that use seasonal ingredients and somewhat underused booze.  Brandon's working with champagne and infused brandy. And Vijay did a little switch up by putting mezcal in his version of a Blood and Sand, and cranberries are always a wonderful addition to a cocktail, both in flavor and color.

As for this little concoction I mixed together, well, it took me a little while until I figured out exactly what I wanted to make.  Originally, I had a hot toddy in mind, but I'd been anxious to try out this little cider syrup trick and I've already posted an apple hot toddy... so that was out. Then I considered doing something with mezcal (I know, I'm obsessed), but when I looked in our cabinet, I found that we were all out (GAH!). So, I went with Scotch. Despite my love for a little single-malt goodness, I've never had it paired with other ingredients. Well, I'm hooked now. Don't be skeptical. Try it, and you will be too. Promise.

I'm not sure I'll be able to whip up something for next week. I might just take a little time off. We'll have to see. Then again, if there's some free time and I'm inspired, you may see me pop up here.  If not, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas. Enjoy your Kwanza. Or your Festivus.

Oh, and happy New Year.

The Cider Mill (Scotch/Apple Cider Cocktail)

Yields: 6 drinks

Ingredients
For the cider syrup
3 cups apple cider
3 star anise
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled

For the cocktail
10 oz single malt Scotch (nothing too peaty, I used Tomatin)
2 tablespoons Amaro Luxano
3-4 dashes Grapefruit bitters
1.5 oz lemon juice
Lemon peel

Ice cubes

Instructions

1. Add apple cider, star anise and ginger slice to a pot and set over high heat. Boil until the cider reduces to 2/3 cup or until it reaches a thin syrup consistency.  Let cool. Remove star anise and ginger.

2. In a large bowl, mix together cider syrup, Scotch, Amaro, grapefruit bitters and lemon juice.

3. Add 8-10 ice cubes to bowl and give it a good stir with a spoon or ladle. Let sit for 10 minutes to let the ice melt a little. This will dilute the drink slightly. Ladle drink into punch cups and rub each rim with lemon peel.

 

 

Mezcalita de Citrico

One of our favorite pieces of furniture is an antique ice box Eric's mom gave to us as a "house cooling present." Weighing close to 500 pounds, it took four large men, and some guidance from Eric, to move it in.  It will remain exactly where it stands for as long as we're here. The thing is a beast. But it's a beautiful beast and we have a very special use for it: it's where we store all our liquor. Well, most of our liquor. Beer and wine is stored downstairs. The ice box has everything else. Want bourbon? We have at least four kinds. Gin? Oh, we have plenty of that. Scotch, rum, tequila, vodka? Got it.

Recently, I've been playing around a bit more with tequila and mezcal.  I've always been a fan of agave-based spirits. Its vegetal flavor (mainly, notes of green pepper) is unlike anything I've experienced in other liquor.  I know not everyone enjoys them as much as I do. I have to wonder, though, if maybe the negative association comes from a bad experience with it in college many years ago and now they've sworn it off. It might be time to give them another try.

When I'm out at a bar, I'll often request a combination of mezcal and citrus. I know I'll get a balanced cocktail with those two ingredients. One evening at The Baldwin Bar, a gem of an establishment that is located north of Boston, I asked Ran Duan, the bar manager, to make me such a drink. A few minutes later, he presented a highball glass with a metal straw sticking out. The first sip took me aback. What is that? It's good. I know that flavor. I like it. Is that... sesame oil? It may not have been the first time someone's made a drink with oil in it, but for this guy here, it was life-altering. And that's where the inspiration for this mezcalita came from.

You know who else would enjoy one of these drinks? Jessica of How Sweet It Is. Though, there's a slight problem. Well, maybe we shouldn't call it a problem... but it's something that's getting in the way of her consuming one (or a pitcher) of these: she's having a baby. A bunch of us bloggers have banded together to throw a virtual baby shower for Jessica. Knowing her, I think she's going to love every one of these recipes (the epic list can be found below). The idea was to do "trashed up" versions of different food and beverages. When it comes to drinks, though, it's just all about the booze. And creating a drink that you want to have multiple rounds of. Pretty sure I got those things covered with this mezcalita.

So, I'm raising my glass to you, Jessica! I have no doubt that you'll be a wonderful mother: caring, thoughtful, and a lot of fun. Just a few more months and you'll be able to sip on one of these! I'm sure you can't wait.

Other blogs who created recipes for Jessica's baby shower:

trashed up salads

Gimme Some Oven | Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce The Lemon Bowl | Brussels Slaw with Tahini Dressing and Za'atar Crostini With Style & Grace | Kale Salad with Apple, Hazelnuts & Bacon

trashed up cocktails

Dine & Dish | Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail Food For My Family | Cranberry Orange Dark and Stormy Cocktail Minimalist Baker | Bourbon Pumpkin Milkshakes Stylish, Stealthy & (sometimes) Healthy | Apple Cider Shandy A Spicy Perspective | Preggy Punch Mocktail Girl vs. Dough | Boozy Maple Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake Honestly Yum | Maple Bacon Pisco Sour Cookin Canuck | Pink Grapefruit Margaritas A Thought For Food | Mezcal de Citrico A House in the Hills | Pomegranate Rosemary Spritzer The Novice Chef | Ginger Bourbon Apple Cider Bran Appetit | Citrus Cider Punch Floats

trashed up burgers

Edible Perspective | Meatloaf Veggie Burgers with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy The Little Kitchen | Salmon BLT Sliders with an Avocado Aioli & Brie Daisy At Home | Balsamic Beef Burger with Mac and Cheese Cookies & Cups | Candied Bacon Maple Cheddar Burger Climbing Grier Mountain | Trashed-Up Steak Burger with Chicken Fried Bacon & Dijon Gravy Dessert For Two | Bleu Cheese Burgers + Sweet Potato Fries Country Clever | Fig Rosemary Roast Chicken Brie Brussels Sprout Panini Foodie Crush - The Best Cheeseburger Soup Lady and Pups | Spicy Sambal Chicken Meatball Sub with Eggs Two Peas & Their Pod | Sweet Potato and Kale Grilled Cheese Bake Your Day | Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich

trashed up tacos

Spoon Fork Bacon | Crunchy Ground Beef and Cheesy Tacos The Fauxmartha | Boozy Beef and Butternut Tacos With Food + Love | Harvest Hash Breakfast Tacos Mountain Mama Cooks | Crispy Kale and Brussels Sprout Tacos with Bacon Heather Christo | Bahn Mi Tacos with Spicy Sriracha Honey Sauce A Couple Cooks | Loaded Huevos Rancheros Tacos Fitnessista | San Diego Lobster Street Tacos

trashed up desserts

Table for Two | Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate, and Brown Butter Shortbread Bars with Sprinkles My Name is Yeh | Mini Vanilla Loaf Cakes, All Trashed Up Picky Palate | Pumpkin Spice Butterscotch Sprinkle Cupcakes Sprinkle Bakes | Cake Batter Confetti Cupcakes Averie Cooks | Easy Homemade Funfetti Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Sweet Phi | Trashed Up Shortbread Cookie Bars Love & Olive Oil | Loaded Junk Food Brownies Lauren’s Latest | Bakery Sugar Cookies Cookie + Kate | Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey and Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies Flourishing Foodie | Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting The Sugar Hit | Salted Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream Cake Hummingbird High | Breakfast Cereal Cake Donuts Top With Cinnamon | Triple Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Crumb Cake Bake at 350 | Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sundaes Simple Bites | Lemon Layer Cake Bakerella | Baby Block Cake Pops She Wears Many Hats |  Chocolate Covered Grapefruit

trashed up pizza

Bev Cooks | Beer Battered Fried Calamari Pizza Rachel Cooks | Apple and Chicken Sausage Pizza with Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Crust Foodie With Family | Trashed Up Barbecue Turkey Pizza Shutterbean | Pesto Potato Bacon Pizza i am a food blog | Grilled Cheese Pizza My Life as a Mrs | Chili Cheese Dog Pizza Simply Scratch | Steak + Blue Cheese Pizza with Crispy Fried Shallots and Honey Balsamic Drizzle The Beeroness | Beer Cheese Tater Tot Pizza Yes I Want Cake | Roasted Pumpkin Pizza Two Red Bowls | Bacon Mashed Potato Pizza Dula Notes | Pork Bahn Mi Pizza Weelicious | Trashed Up Mexican Pizza Pockets Take a Megabite | Roasted Beet Pizza Hungry Girl Por Vida | Hard Cider Braised Pork with Sour Cherries and Cheesy Polenta Bakers Royale | Trash’d Street Tacos

Mezcalita de Citrico

Yield 1 cocktail, but can easily be multiplied

Glassware Highball glass

Ingredients

For the honey syrup 2/3 cup warm water 1/2 cup honey

For the cocktail 2 oz mezcal .75 oz Bauchant Orange Liqueur 1 oz lime juice .5 oz honey syrup 2 tsp minced ginger 1.5 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together the honey with the warm water until completely dissolved.  Set aside to cool.

2. To make the cocktail, place all the cocktail ingredients into a cocktail shaker with three ice cubes.

3. Shake for 10 seconds and then strain into a highball glass with ice.

What I'm Drinking: Blackberry Gin and Tonics

Blackberry Gin and Tonic

Blackberry Gin and Tonic

It's around 6 o'clock when we begin to get things in order for dinner. As Eric lights the charcoal for the grill, I head into the kitchen to mix drinks. From time to time, we'll pop open a bottle of wine, but more often than not, it's gin and tonics.  I take pride in my g+t-making skills, which were picked up by watching Eric during our first years together. I realized early on in our relationship that if I was going to last in this family, I'd have to learn to prepare one properly.  I grab a lime, cut it in half, squeeze the juice into each glass, making sure to get as much of the pulp in that I can. The used wedges are reserved for the end (Eric likes to eat the rind... it's something I've come to accept).  The next step: add the gin. Sometimes it's measured out in a jigger, but to speed up the process I'll often just eyeball it. A few handfuls of ice cubes and then topped off with tonic and we're good to go!

Earlier this summer, I was chatting with Vijay (of Nosh On It) and Brandon (of Kitchen Konfidence) and we came up with the idea to do a series on our favorite cocktails.  We're calling it "What I Drink," where, from time to time, we'll post our favorite drink recipes. Sometimes these will be classics, but we may also give them a little twist. Be sure to check out Vijay's 1794 and Brandon's Old Fashioned posts.

Seeing that gin and tonics are what we drink during the summer, I immediately knew that's what I'd be making. As I explained above, the recipe for a g+t isn't all that complicated, so I've spruced things up here by making a blackberry shrub that replaces the lime juice in the drink

But before you scroll down for the recipe, here's a little Q+A to give you all a bit more info about why I love gin and tonics and what the heck a shrub is. Hope you enjoy! Cheers.

Blackberry Gin and Tonic

What flavor profile best fits your cocktail? Sweet, fresh, bitter or savory?

What's great about shrubs is that they're a combination of sweet (from the sugar and fruit) and tangy (from the vinegar), making for a balanced cocktail.

Why is this drink your favorite?

Well, the gin and tonic is certainly my favorite summer drink and I pretty much only consume it from June through August. It's a simple drink to prepare and it's very refreshing.

Do you enjoy variations, or do you just stick to the original recipe?

Often I stick to the original recipe (gin, lime juice, tonic), though, in this case, I played around a bit. I've also been known to add a splash of Aperol or bitters to my gin and tonic.

When making cocktails, what's the best advice you've ever received (or read)?

I'm not sure there's one piece of advice that sticks out. It's more like a combination of tips and tricks I've picked up from watching bartenders. I've learned to taste my drink as I add ingredients to see if it needs more sweetness or citrus or something to smooth it out. One bartender told me that you should add the alcohol at the end... or at least the most expensive liquor... because that way if you screw up the drink, you don't lose the pricier ingredient. Sometimes I'll follow that rule, but it doesn't always make sense.

What's the worst alcoholic beverage you've tasted?  Please describe the experience.

When we go out, we tend to hit up places that we know will mix up a well-crafted cocktail. However, there have been a few times when we try out a new place and we're terribly disappointed by the results. I don't expect much from a dive bar, but nicer establishments should be able to produce a balanced drink. There have been a couple of occasions when we're served a drink that's flat for some reason... it's missing some acidity or sweetness or, in the worst of circumstances, any discernible booze.

IMG_2228-2

Blackberry Gin and Tonic

Note: The shrub in this cocktail takes a week to prepare.

Ingredients

For the shrub 1 cup blackberries 1 cup balsamic vinegar 3/4 cup sugar

For the gin and tonic 1.5 oz gin .75 oz blackberry shrub tonic

Blackberries, for garnish

Directions

1. In a bowl, toss blackberries with sugar. Let sit for one hour at room temp.

2. Mash the blackberries with a large spoon. Let sit for another hour.

3. Mash the fruit again and then let sit for 24 hours at room temp.

4. Add the vinegar, stir, and let sit, covered, for at least one week, making sure to give it a good stir every day.

5. After a week, strain the fruit from the mixture and save the liquid in a mason jar (or a large container with a cover).

6. To make the gin and tonic, pour the gin into a glass, followed by the shrub. Add a handful of ice cubes and top with tonic. Garnish with fresh blackberries.