2 minute read
Food and Wine
SOUTHAMPTON EVENT VENUE AVAILABLE SPRING 2022 SOUTHAMPTON EVENT VENUE AVAILABLE SPRING 2022
230 Elm Street 230 Elm Street
SEASONAL OPTIONS
By sharon roth
Here are a few fun seasonal options, starting with the simplest. All of these serve one, except the first, where you can just proportion ingredients to taste:
The Bridgehampton Mezcal
Before we begin, let’s address the all-important question: What exactly is mezcal? Mezcal is a smoky liquor made from the juice of roasted agave plants, as is tequila, but (perfect for our theme today) with a much smokier, earthier flavor and aroma. Fun fact: Mezcal is recognized as an Appellation of Origin in Mexico, much like Champagne or Cognac is in France.
The Sag Harbor Spice
This one also calls for expert muddling. So basically, get hold of a cocktail muddler (or just use any handle of a wooden utensil) and mush away until you have a nice, zesty pulp. That’s all there is to it. For this spicy mezcal margarita, muddle limes, cucumber, jalapeños, and cilantro.
Ingredients:
3 slices cucumber 2 slices jalapeño pepper 1 lime (quartered) 3 sprigs cilantro 2 oz. silver tequila 2 oz. St-Germain elderflower liqueur 2 oz. mezcal
Black sea salt
Long, thin cucumber slices (Ok, that’s actually quite specific for a garnish, so if that’s not your particular cucumber aesthetic, feel free to fashion them any way you like!) Now that we have established that, here we go:
Ingredients:
Mezcal Plenty of limes Natural agave nectar Basil leaves Ice Optional salt for the rim of the glass (Try a flavored salt, just for fun.)
Couldn’t be easier: Place basil leaves and lime wedges in a cocktail shaker. Muddle them well (see below for how to muddle well). Add ice, mezcal, lime juice, and agave, and shake away.
The Montauk Peach Smash
Ingredients:
1 peach 1 tsp. 100% pure Canadian maple syrup 2 oz. smoked maple bourbon (Knob Creek is a good option.)
3 dashes Angostura bitters 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 oz. non-alcoholic spicy ginger beer (Great Jamaican is a good option.) ½ oz fresh lemon juice 1 oz soda water
Coat peach with maple syrup and grill or broil with canola oil (5 miutes for grill, 2 minutes for broil) Add ice cubes to shaker with grilled peach half, thyme sprig, bitters, and bourbon. Shake and pour over ice. Top with dry ginger beer, fresh lemon juice, and soda water. Stir and enjoy.
Dip lime quarters into sea salt. Put cucumber slices, jalapeño slices, salted lime quarters, and cilantro sprigs into cocktail shaker and muddle. Fill shaker with crushed ice and add tequila, St-Germain, and mezcal. Cover shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain concoction over crushed ice and serve.
As summer winds down and fall arrives, get a good fire going, curl up and raise your smoky cocktail of choice to a happy, healthy, and ambrosial rest of 2021!
