Raul Zavala
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The Bitter Squash INGREDIENTS
1 ½ oz. brandy ½ oz. Angostura orange bitters ¾ oz. orange/butternut squash syrup* ¾ oz. lemon juice
My Angostura Moment I currently work at Roosevelt Island’s Panorama Room, NYC. I have been in the industry pretty much my whole life. I started in the kitchen at a sport’s bar, working my way to a Michelin star restaurant as a bartender. Bitters are a must-have in the bar, like salt and pepper in the kitchen. They are a game-changer and final touch for many cocktails. You can’t run a bar without aromatic bitters. I first discovered Angostura bitters with the Trinidad Sour cocktail. At first, I didn’t know much about bitters. I thought it was a kind of spirit but then realized it was a fundamental ingredient. You can season any drink and use it as a main component in a cocktail. Two dashes of Angostura orange bitters change your game, imagine what an ounce can do to your cocktail! Don’t be afraid to explore the possibilities.
PREPARATION
Shake ingredients with ice. Double strain. *Syrup: preheat oven to 300°F. Cut 1 cup squash in pieces (keep seeds), roast on baking sheet until tender (approx.45mins). In a medium pot, add roasted squash, ½ cinnamon stick, allspice, 1 clove, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup water, 2 cups white sugar, orange peels. Cook approx. 15 minutes, whisking continuously until sugar melts and squash is a puree, remove from heat, strain in cheesecloth. **Pepita rim: In saucepan, toast seeds until brown, blend, strain, add sugar and salt to taste.
