LIGHTLY SALTED Playing With Smoke

Jamey Merkel, Beam Suntory’s brand ambassador for Southeast Asia, plays with the smoky notes of Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt to create a punchy cocktail full of layers.

TEXT JOYCE HUANG PHOTO LIM MINGLONG STYLING GAN

The Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt is the peatiest of the Bowmore aged statements. To highlight this smokiness, Jamey Merkel pairs it with caramelised honey, layered citrus juice and rich ice cream in the punchy cocktail, Smoke & Fire. Instead of just using a single citrus juice, he mixes the juice of lemon, orange, and grapefruit to create more nuanced flavours. This playful cocktail is a tipple that transforms, giving the drinker hints of smoke, sweetness, and tartness before ending with a creamy concoction when the vanilla ice cream melts. We recommend mixing up a pour (or two) to enjoy while you flip through this issue. Cheers!

Smoke & Fire

30ml Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt

10ml scorched honey syrup

15ml citrus juice (lemon, orange, and grapefruit) dash of chocolate bitters

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

Method

• To make scorched honey syrup, pour a sizeable amount of honey into a shallow pan and use a blowtorch to caramelise the top, until the honey just boils and changes colour. Mix this with the same amount of water to make a syrup.

• To get citrus juice, combine the juices of one of each fruit.

• In a shaker, combine Bowmore, syrup, juice and bitters. Shake with ice until chilled, then pour into a lantern glass. Top with ice cream and enjoy.