25 minute read
How to Use Pineau des Charentes in Cocktails
By Lesley Jacobs Solmonson
Pineau des Charentes is the product of a happy, viniferous accident. In the 16th-century, a wine grower tossed some grape must into what he thought was an empty barrel. That barrel still contained a bit of Cognac eau-de-vie. After fermenting for a few years, the resulting liquid was a sublime, aged, fortified wine. Not only is PdC lovely as a substitute in standard wine pairings, it can also be mixed with sparkling wine or a premium tonic.
As a certified instructor for PdC, ms. franky marshall touts the possibilities of Pineau as a cocktail ingredient. It can work as a base, and in place of sherry, vermouth, or liqueur. While the perception of the style is sweet, marshall notes, “Instead of using the ‘s’ word, i.e.: sweet, I prefer unctuous, fruit-forward, viscous. In all the best PdCs there will be some level of acidity! They are not cloying.” Whether in white, red, or rosé form, Pineau des Charentes offers intriguing creative possibilities.
STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3
White PdC tasting notes vary. Young white PdC taste of tropical fruits, beeswax, and ripe stone fruits, while old white PdC taste of burnt honey, baking spices, orange marmalade, and ripe apricots. Very old white PdC tastes of cinnamon buns, butterscotch, roasted nuts, dried stone fruits. The rosé PdC has notes of wild strawberries, raspberries, and cherries. While difficult to find, red pineau “adds structure to stirred drinks, body to shaken drinks, and won’t get lost in cocktails with multiple ingredients and juices.” In red PdC, the young red has notes of pomegranate, blackberry, licorice, cinnamon, and vanilla notes, and the old red PdC is woody with prunes, cacao, and pomegranate notes. Very old red PdC tastes of stewed red/ black fruits and baking spices. Start with a simple cocktail. Combine 1 1/2 oz. Pineau des Charentes and 3/4 oz. tonic over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit twist and a thyme sprig to complement the wine. Don’t hide PdC in the “dessert wine” category on the menu. Let it shine on its own as an aperitif, a digestif, or accompanying a meal.
ms. franky marshall
Modern Bartender, educator, and consultant ms. franky marshall has worked at distinguished bars, including Clover Club, Monkey Bar, The Tippler, and The Dead Rabbit. As bar director/ bartender-in-charge at Le Boudoir Brooklyn, she created a highly regarded cocktail program and curated the wine, beer, and spirits lists. She is a BNIC Certified Cognac Educator and Pineau des Charentes Educator, and has certifications for CMS Level 1, WSET Level 2 Certificate with Distinction, D.O. Cava, and Armagnac Academies. She has been both cocktail competitor and judge, an event moderator and host, as well as a featured bartender in numerous cocktail books and magazines.
Photo by Alex Staniloff
APÉRUSCO Cocktails by ms. franky marshall Photo by Cheryl Juetten
INGREDIENTS
1 oz. Red Pineau des Charentes 3/4 oz. Fresh Pink Grapefruit Juice 1/2 oz. Gran Classico Bitter 1 oz. Dry Lambrusco
PREPARATION
Add the first three ingredients to mixing tin. Shake with ice. Strain into small coupe. Top with 1 oz. dry Lambrusco. Stir once to integrate. Garnish with dehydrated strawberry.
PINEAU FINO Photo by Lydia Lee INGREDIENTS Pineau des Charentes PREPARATION Add ingredients to mixing glass. Stir with ice. Strain into
PRO TIP “Keep in mind the average ABV is 17%, so be careful not to overpower the Pineau with too many high-proof
1 1/2 oz. Five-year old White 3/4 oz. Fino Sherry
spirits when mixing.” small cocktail glass or Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with 3 small drops of olive oil.
VYA SWEET VERMOUTH Hand-infused at the Quady Winery, this sweet vermouth brings to mind a vision of holiday baking in a warm home on a snowy winter’s day. Made from a blend of Tinta Roriz, Orange Muscat, and dry white wine, Vya is blended with a selection of over 17 herbs and spices. Vya Sweet Vermouth is the perfect addition to a Manhattan, yielding a sweet and spicy flavor.
LO-FI DRY VERMOUTH Crafted in California, this sweet anise and coriander vermouth has notes of citrus and hints of elderflower. Lo-Fi Dry Vermouth is made with premium wine legs that are blended and fortified with grape-neutral spirits. This vermouth is formulated with a high pH level to allow a well-balanced flavor, leaving behind a creamy texture.
IMBUE CLASSIC DRY VERMOUTH Produced from wine that is barrel aged for two to four years, the classic vermouth is the newest creation from imbue. It’s infused with wormwood and 11 dried raw botanicals. This American vermouth has hints of vanilla, sage, and baking spice and entices the palate with pear and caramelized nuts. It can be enjoyed straight up or as the perfect addition to a cocktail.
CINZANO 1757 The small-batch bottlings are handcrafted with a distinctive blend of mature aromatics and available in rosso and extra dry. Paying homage to the brand’s founders, Giovanni Giacomo and Carlo Stefano, Cinzano 1757 marks the year Casa Cinzano was created in Torino, Italy.
HOTEL STARLINO VERMOUTH Using Italian wines and distillates as the base, Hotel Starlino vermouths combine wormwood, coriander, and Italian citrus peels to create three aromatic aperitivos. The Rosso is warm and spiced, the Rosé offers bright berries and citrus, and the Arancione presents Italian oranges at the fore with more focus on botanicals. Made at Torino Distillati, the vermouths are owned and distributed by Biggar & Leith.
LUSTAU VERMUT Using sherry as the base, Lustau Vermut offers three vermouth styles—rojo, blanco, and rosé. Each recipe includes wormwood, but from there, the sherry bases and the botanicals vary between varietals. The Rojo balances sweetness and nuttiness with a bitter finish; the Blanco is sweet and dry with a floral minerality; the Rosé is on the sweet side with notes of strawberry, nuts, and spice.
Keyatta Mincey-Parker
Bon Ton Atlanta, Georgia
Photos by Jose Pereiro
For Atlanta-based Keyatta Mincey-Parker, bartending was a natural career progression. Parker has worked her way up nearly every step on the restaurant ladder, landing at bartender over 18 years ago.
“I didn’t consider it a profession until my mentor, Eric Simpkins, took me under his wing when we worked at Trois. He told me that there was no one who looked like me, bartending at the same level and style, and the rest is history,” remembers Keyatta. This early vote of confidence from her mentor inspired her to pursue bartending seriously. She also brings her background to the stick. Keyatta grew up in Liberia, moving to the United States in 1990 after her family escaped civil war. “I always try to use things from my native home and fresh and colorful ingredients.”
Before Covid, Keyatta was tending bar at Bon Ton in Atlanta, an approachable bar with a cocktail program that highlights fresh, local ingredients. In the meantime, Keyatta has been involved with developing cocktails for big brands, hosting online classes, and working on her non-profit—A Sip of Paradise—a community garden.
Her influences have made her a very visual person, and she prefers to work with bold flavors, fresh, clean ingredients, and plenty of colors. “I will never hand you a brown drink!” Keyatta exclaims, noting that one of the biggest highlights of her job is handing someone a delicious cocktail and turning their day around.
What advice does she wish she could give her younger self? “Don’t second guess or back down because you are different from them; you are just as good, and most times better, you are worthy!”
SEASON MY FALL
INGREDIENTS 1 oz. Caravedo Pisco Quebranta 1 oz. Agricole Rhum 1 oz. pomegranate juice ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice ¾ oz. sage simple syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters 2 dashes Orange bitters
PREPARATION Shake hard, strain over a big rock and garnish with a fresh sage leaf and fresh grated cinnamon and nutmeg.
Adam Way
Il Bistro & Foreign National Seattle, Washington
Photos by Andrew Valantine
Before finding his calling as a bartender, Seattle, WA native, Adam Way spent his time playing in bands and working as a concert promoter. After dipping his feet into the world of bartending, he quickly got hooked. As his career progressed, he’s spent significant time and effort learning and growing his skills. Before the latest bar closures he can be found at Il Bistro in Pikes Place and patiently waiting to head back to work at Foreign National.
So, how does Way suggest new bartenders get their feet wet? “Go out to bars, decide what makes them special to you, try cocktails that sound weird, ask the bartenders about ingredients you’re unfamiliar with, buy and read cocktail books, try making new cocktails at home, take the time to try, create, and learn as much and as often as possible. Don’t burn bridges. Finish every job you start. Don’t be afraid to work hard. Work gracefully. Don’t settle—strive for the utmost highest quality in everything you do.”
When it comes to creating new cocktails, for Way, it’s all about using classics cocktails as the base for exploration. “It’s a pretty scientific process. Find a flavor you want to use, look up pairings, and then try to include the flavor via a syrup, puree, tincture, or infusion. From there, it’s a matter of doing tests with an isolated variable to see what works and what doesn’t,” Way noted. “Eventually, when you do this enough, you develop a good palate, and you can automatically tell what might work well together and what won’t.”
Way expects that we’ll continue to see bars making use of to-go cocktails and more inventive services. “I’ve seen a rise in the focus on digital marketing from many spirit brands, so I imagine that brands will also find new and creative ways to get bartenders involved online—group video chat tastings and discussions, live video presentations, cocktail classes, etc. I’m not sure what to expect, but I hope bars can get back up and running normally again soon.”
DAYS TO EMERGE
INGREDIENTS 2 oz. Olympia Artesian Vodka 1 oz. fresh lemon juice ½ oz. rich simple syrup 1 pineapple chunk 1 basil leaf
PREPARATION Muddle pineapple, basil and syrup in a shaking tin. Add vodka, lemon juice and ice. Shake and fine strain over ice into a terra-cotta cup. Garnish with basil and crumbled bourbon biscuit. “I present it as a living basil plant, showcasing crushed up bourbon biscuits as faux dirt. The crushed biscuit doubles as an aromatic component laying on top of the cocktail, which pairs surprisingly well with pineapple,” says Way.
Elevated Cocktail Experiences at Home
A recent survey conducted by Bacardi shows that the COVID-19 era includes a preparedness to forgo social gatherings. Coincidentally, there also exists a strong desire to indulge in high-end spirits. Nearly 50% of the respondents believe that obtaining fine spirits is essential to creating quality cocktails. In a word, “the premiumization trend is proving to be recession-proof,” predicts Brenda Fiala, global vice president of strategy, insights and analytics at Bacardi.
By Mathew Powers
Many consumers are choosing to purchase premium spirits for themselves, their friends, and their family. And that’s good news for top-notch spirits brands like Bacardi because its portfolio includes a wealth of premium brands. This is particularly true in North America—one of the top markets for the business where regional president Pete Carr happily notes, “D’Ussé Cognac, Santa Teresa Rums, Aberfeldy Single Malts, Grey Goose Vodka, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Angel’s Envy, and Noilly Prat are all outperforming their categories.”
The research shows that people are “exploring options to make their homes feel like an escape and creating beautiful drink experiences with great tasting spirits is a key part of this experience,” says Fiala. Because the overwhelming majority of those surveyed will remain homebound for a lot of the winter, it’s not surprising that most will choose the e-commerce route when purchasing their libations.
The Bacardi survey revealed that drink fans were seeking vodka (23%), whisky (18%), and tequila (11%). Nevertheless, there’s also plenty of ready-to-drink choices, including, for the second time only, BACARDÍ Coquito. The cream-based Coquito is a traditional Puerto Rican holiday cocktail made with BACARDÍ Superior Rum and a mix of vanilla, cinnamon, and festive spices. Canned ready-to-drink (RTD) options are all the rage, too. Bacardi recently released three flavors: Lime & Soda, Limon & Lemonade, and Rum Punch. “It’s impossible to ignore the pandemic and its effect on drinking culture, which makes the RTD line from Bacardi as appealing as ever,” says Lisa Pfenning, BACARDÍ Rum vice president.
Still, with bars closed in so many locations Brenda Fiala and social plans put on hiatus, it’s only natural that people are starting to elevate their home-cocktail game. Fiala says, “One in four are now making drinks at home, and our portfolio of cocktail kits delivered to your door via Sourced Craft Cocktails or Cocktail Courier is the perfect accessory for these new ‘resident’ bartenders. We’ll make it easy
Pete Carr with cocktail kits featuring our premium brands and all the ingredients needed to make a cocktail at home.” (sourcedcraftcocktails.com, cocktailcourier.com)
Popular drinks choices include lighter, low- or zeroABV options. At the same time, one-in-five noted a desire to challenge themselves and use unconventional mixers like Sriracha and maple syrup.
Whatever they make, it will include premium spirits. Americans are adapting. Bacardi is adapting. “This moment has made us all adapt, and for our business, it has opened up this new era of what we are calling the home premise,” adds Carr. The stay-at-home culture isn’t just about endurance, it’s about having fun and making cocktails is gaining popularity as a new outlet for fun at home.
An Expression of Luxury through Taste
The story of Catoctin Creek began with two ambitious engineers who put their professional skill set to use for the pursuit of a mutual passion: the fine spirits industry. The couple, Scott and Becky Harris, spent decades before Catoctin’s birth building and sharpening their careers. As a computer engineer, Scott worked in telecommunications and government contracting, while Becky, a chemical engineer, worked in manufacturing contact lenses, computer parts, and Styrofoam products.
By Joseph Luparello
At the crossroads of a mid-life crisis in 2009, it became apparent to Scott that he no longer wanted to spend his hours behind a desk completing PowerPoint charts. Following through with this epiphany, he quickly shifted all his focus toward founding a distillery. Scott likes to say, “Twenty years of government contracting taught me a great love of whiskey.” His wife had an equal amount of faith in the vision and urged him to get a business plan going and get financing. That same year, amid an economic crisis, they miraculously began distilling the first legal alcohol in their county since before Prohibition.
The Harris’s share a tremendous love for the history of rye whisky that transpired in the Commonwealth of Virginia. From 1607 at Jamestown to 1776, colonists were producing whiskey from rye grain on a small scale. Practically every farm had a small distilling production that would supply the farm with alcohol to drink, use as a solvent, for medicine purposes, etc. The stills were small, and the grain was all super-local. Today known as craft distilling, this early traditional production is precisely what Scott and Becky sought most to emulate in their distillery: local Virginia grain, room temperature fermentation, pot stilled distillation and aging in local wood and local climate. Such circumstances grant Catoctin Creek—The Virginia Rye Whisky—a unique taste that comes straight from the terroir of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
If the absent “e” in whiskey is coming off as unfamiliar, it is worth knowing its purpose is to commemorate their Scottish ancestry.
Reflecting on exactly why his brand’s whisky stands above others, Scott explains, “By focusing on local grain and pot-stilled production, we see a very pronounced difference in flavor of our 100% rye whisky. Becky starts with grain from various farms in the Virginia area and blends into a mash bill rye variety. That gives us a complexity of flavor, rather than the one-dimensional flavor that would result in a single strain of grain. This mash is fermented and distilled on the grain very slowly, which provides a lot of time to extract the absolute best flavors and is done completely by hand. The whisky is aged in 30-gallon charred white oak barrels for between two and four years, and then bottled as single barrel expressions, of course, never chill filtered!”
Catoctin Creek rye whisky is incredibly versatile and nearly identical to the rye flavor that you would experience on the East Coast during the 1800s—the era where cocktails began to boom. All the classics: Manhattans, Sazeracs, Vieux Carrés, Boulevardiers, etc., can be made to perfection with the assistance of Catoctin Creek rye. It also plays well with others: Amari, vermouths, and liqueurs, making it an adaptable spirit base.
Virginia’s award-winning distillery expresses luxury through taste. Sipping a Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye reminds us that we have access to the finest things in life, and for that moment, everything in the world is simply fine. For the ultimate luxury experience, Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Cask Proof is the way to go. It is deeply rich, with flavors of cocoa, leather, tobacco, and ridiculously smooth for its stunning 58% ABV.
Photo by Edward Harris
Photo by Hilary Hyland
Alternative Acidity in Cocktails
Photos courtesy of Adam Way
Creating a balanced cocktail is something that takes skill, planning, and an understanding of acidity. “Using acids in cocktails creates opportunities that otherwise would not be possible. You cannot simply make a classic Daiquiri using orange juice instead of lime. It will taste unbalanced,” explains Seattle based Chilled 100 bartender Adam Way.
Way bartends at Foreign National, a cocktail bar in Seattle, Washington. “I learned to alter the acidity of various ingredients to make them better fit my needs. Since then, I’ve purchased a few common acids to use in cocktails at home and experimented with favorable results.”
“You can add some lime juice in addition to the low-acid orange, and that would increase the acidity level, but it would also increase the volume, dilute the orange flavor, and ultimately alter the balance of the drink,” Way notes. “With the help of acids, you can alter natural ingredients to make them better suit certain drinks, which is exciting because it creates many new possibilities.”
4 Tips for Creating Acid-Adjusted Cocktails
1. When weighing your acids, use a scale that can measure small changes—precision within 0.01g is ideal. 2. You can increase a drink’s acidity with no juice at all by adding a solution of citric and/or malic acid plus water. 3. Adding some citric acid to your juice can lengthen its shelf life. 4. Use citric acid to mimic lemon, citric and malic to mimic lime, and ascorbic acid (often confused with citric) to stop juices and fruit from turning brown. Using acids in cocktails creates opportunities that otherwise would not be possible. You cannot simply make a classic Daiquiri using orange juice instead of lime. It will taste unbalanced.
— ADAM WAY SEATTLE BASED CHILLED 100 BARTENDER
HOW TO CHANGE COMMON JUICES TO THE ACIDITY OF LEMON OR LIME
GRAPEFRUIT TO LEMON: 40 grams citric acid powder GRAPEFRUIT TO LIME: 27 grams citric acid powder and 13 grams malic acid powder ORANGE TO LEMON: 52 grams citric acid powder ORANGE TO LIME: 32 grams citric acid powder and 20 grams malic acid powder PINEAPPLE TO LEMON: 52 grams citric acid powder PINEAPPLE TO LIME: 32 grams citric acid powder and 20 grams malic acid powder
Done & Dusted
INGREDIENTS
¾ oz. Fast Penny Spirits Amaro Amaricano ¾ oz. Hampden Estate Jamaican Pot Still Rum ¾ oz. Michter’s Straight Rye Whiskey ¾ oz. acidified ruby red grapefruit juice* ½ oz. clover honey syrup 2 dashes aromatic bitters
PREPARATION
Add all the ingredients into a shaking tin; add ice. Whip shake and fine strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with mint.
*Acidified ruby red grapefruit juice: To acidify grapefruit juice to the perceivable acidity of lemon, add 40 grams of citric acid to 1 liter of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and stir until completely dissolved. Refrigerate and use within 48 hours.
FILLED WITH GANGSTERS, FAMILY CALAMITY, AND WHISKEY DRINKERS, THE PEAKY BLINDERS CAN’T BE MESSED WITH. TAKING PLACE AFTER WWI, THE CRIME-FILLED DRAMA SERIES FOLLOWS THE SHELBY FAMILY AS THEIR BOSS TOMMY SHELBY IS SET ON MOVING UP IN THE WORLD—NO MATTER THE COST. THE CREW CAN BE FOUND HAVING A DRINK AT THE GARRISON PUB, AN ORNATE BAR BUILT TO COMBAT THE GLOOM OF POVERTY. HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE DRINKIN’.
SOPHIE RUNDLE
Rundle plays the only sister in the Shelby clan. Amidst the pandemic, she took to her Instagram posing in painter’s overalls, holding a wet paintbrush and a glass of bubbly and captioned it, “Will DIY for cheap champagne.” TOM HARDY Although his character Alfie is a rum distiller,
Hardy has been a teetotaler since age 25. “I’ve been sober longer than I’d been drinking now. It’s a nice place to be.”
SAM NEILL
Neill plays Chief Inspector Chester Campbell, an Ulster Protestant Irish policeman drafted from Belfast who goes to great lengths to bust the Shelby clan. The long time awarded actor owns a small organic winery called
Two Paddocks. “We’ve always been interested in alcohol!” he laughs. “It’s a family thing for us.
We’ve had generations who’ve made a living from it. My father, my grandfather.”
HELEN McCRORY
McCrory, or Aunt Polly, is the caretaker of the
Shelby siblings after their mom died.
She is seen in Season 4 sipping champagne from a coupe glass and inhaling a cigarette, all while betraying Tommy by sacrificing him.
CILLIAN MURPHY Known for his iconic role as Tommy Shelby, he is either puffing on a cigarette or sipping whiskey neat on the show. “Whiskey is good proofing water. Tells you who’s real and who isn’t.” He knows better than anyone how to loosen the lips.
ANNABELLE WALLIS Wallis plays Grace Burgess, an undercover agent for the Birmingham Police, whose relationship with Tommy Shelby is plagued with twists, turns, turmoil, and death. After Tommy hears Grace sing to his patrons, he agrees to hire her as a bartender at the Garrison, his pub.
Spice up your celebrations with the Avila® Reposado “South for the Winter” cocktail
1.25 oz Revel Reposado 0.75 oz Aperol 0.75 oz Amaro Nonino 0.75 oz Lemon Juice
Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and double-strain into a coupe. Garnish with expressed grapefruit peel.
Enjoy with your favorite charcuterie board or a light, fruit-based desert.
For more cocktail recipies or to buy Revel Avila visit: REVELSPIRITS.COM
Whiskey Smash
By Lanee Lee
WHEN THE WHISKEY SOUR AND THE MINT JULEP MINGLE
Whiskey Smash
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. bourbon ¾ oz. simple syrup 3 lemon wedges 4 mint leaves Mint sprig (for garnish)
PREPARATION
Muddle lemon and mint in shaker. Add the remaining ingredients; add ice, shake. Double strain into a rocks glass over ice. Slap a mint sprig on the back of your hand and use as a garnish. ONE OF THE BEST TRAINING-WHEEL COCKTAILS FOR NON-WHISKEY DRINKERS IS THE WHISKEY SMASH. MADE OF WHISKEY, MUDDLED MINT, MUDDLED LEMON WEDGES, AND SIMPLE SYRUP, THE WHISKEY SMASH IS A SMOOTH, REFRESHING SIPPER POPULAR IN THE SOUTH, MUCH LIKE ITS COUSIN, THE MINT JULEP. W
hat defines a smash from a julep? Well, brace yourself for one of those mindbending booze rules like all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon, or all tequilas are mezcal, but not all mezcal are tequilas.
A smash is a julep, but a julep is not always a smash. The difference between the two, primarily, is the muddled fruit. Okay, sure, there’s the julep’s distinctive crushed ice and that stellar silver cup—but recipe-wise, a julep doesn’t require muddled fruit, and a smash does.
One thing is crystal clear. The Whiskey Smash has been making imbibers happy for a very long time, some 200 years now. Most credit its invention to 19th century legendary barkeep Jerry Thomas. But that’s as muddled as the lemon at the bottom of your shaker when making a Whiskey Smash. In his cocktail book, Bartender’s Guide, also known as Bon Vivant’s Companion in 1862, there is a short section on Smashes, including a Whiskey Smash. This first set of recipes included a Gin and Brandy Smash that follow the current recipe and a Whiskey Smash that followed a Julep recipe but in a different glass. When the revised version came out in 1887, it included the Whiskey Smash as we currently know it.
It appears the smash makes a permanent name for itself as a bona fide classic cocktail category. For example, Harry Johnson’s 1882 Bartender’s Manual includes four smash recipes, like the Old Style Whiskey Smash made with water, sugar, mint, whiskey, and muddled in-season fruits.
And the muddling is where the magic is. You see, the proportions of a Whiskey Smash are almost identical to Rick Dalton’s (the main character in the movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) go-to cocktail, the Whiskey Sour. But when the lemon is muddled, you get the bright notes of freshly expressed juice and get the potent essential oils from the lemon peel.
And that’s what makes the Whiskey Smash, well, a smash hit. It’s simple to make, easy to riff on by swapping out the base spirit, type of fruit, or herbs, and it’s downright delicious.
Next time you’re making a drink for someone that says, “Whiskey? Not for me!” try mixing up the classic Whiskey Smash. Or, try a variation, such as muddled grapefruit or kumquats. They’ll thank you later.
Honeycomb
There are few things as instantly recognizable as the honeycomb; the hexagonal wax structure is nearly as sculptural as it is functional. Made from beeswax, honeycomb is the hive’s foundation and houses both growing bees and honey depending on its location throughout a hive.
Honeycomb itself makes for a unique and stunning garnish, but there are some tricks to getting it to work the way you want. When full of honey, the comb is quite heavy and will not float on top of a drink; it must be speared and secured. “Consider the extra sweetness leaking out into cocktail when using a loaded piece of honeycomb,” notes Nadine Medina. She became a bit of a honey expert after having a hive removed from her Las Vegas home. Medina has been experimenting with some of the honey and comb from her hive in cocktails.
“The honeycomb itself is very delicate when handling. When used as a garnish, it needs to be empty if you want to float it,” explains Medina. All honeycomb is filled with raw honey; to empty it while retaining the shape, use a hot, sharp knife to slice the bottom caps off. Because beeswax is often relatively thin, you can cut close to the edge. Let the honey flow out of the wax and leave it to dry for a short period before using it. Note that it may begin to sink so garnish just before serving.
Forbidden Nectar
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. vodka ¾ oz. smoked honey syrup 2 oz. Tart Pie cherries, juiced Honeycomb piece floating (for garnish)
PREPARATION
Add all ingredients in shaking tin with ice, shake until very cold, pour through strainer into coupe glass. Garish with honeycomb, Thai basil flowers and carnation with mini clothespin to the side of the glass. Put in smoke box for 20 seconds, remove, then garnish with fresh grated nutmeg on top.
