Cocktails for Colorful Foliage

[mbanu]

If you're looking for something a bit more exotic, but still relatively simple, here's a fun seasonal variation on the old whiskey sour.

2 ounces straight rye

1/2 ounce brown sugar syrup

1/2 ounce unsweetened cranberry juice

Shake and strain, garnish as desired and enjoy.

If you find it too dry, feel free to adjust the proportion of sugar syrup to cranberry juice. Make sure to use unsweetened straight juice, not sweetened cranberry juice cocktail.

[trillium]

Yesterday I picked up some organic apple cider, charged it, and OH-MY-GOD... I was topping my applejack, calvados, rye, bourbon, poir, cocktails with it.  It ROCKS, It doesn't dillute the cocktail any, it gives it a fresher ephervesence (When will we get spell check on this site?) and the bubbles are bubblier (yes thats a technical term).  Plus it looks so cool. 

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Install the google tooldbar and it will do spellcheck for you.

I have to ask, are you The Alchemist (from hotwired fame)? I'm guessing no, but still curious.

regards,

trillium

[Alchemist]

I have to ask, are you The Alchemist (from hotwired fame)? I'm guessing no, but still curious.

regards,

trillium

I am the unfamous Alchemist.

[eje]

Yesterday I picked up some organic apple cider, charged it, and OH-MY-GOD... I was topping my applejack, calvados, rye, bourbon, poir, cocktails with it.  It ROCKS, It doesn't dillute the cocktail any, it gives it a fresher ephervesence (When will we get spell check on this site?) and the bubbles are bubblier (yes thats a technical term).  Plus it looks so cool. 

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Install the google tooldbar and it will do spellcheck for you.

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I don't know anything about the back end of egullet; but, on high volume sites, a spell checking feature can be fairly processor intensive.

If you are using firefox, the spellbound spelling extension works quite well.

Spellbound

-Erik

[Alchemist]

Alchemist - you are a true and creatively inspired cocktalian.  I'd would love to have a drink with you sometime.  We'd have a lot to talk about...

Love the technical terms. 

Sure next time you're in town I'll buy you a drink @ Pegu.

So I tried the fizz in a bottle. Fan-tas-TICK! It was light and fluffy, like the Cucumber foam on the Pimms Pony @ WD-50. It went a little like this...

12 Oz. Plymouth gin

@ Oz. Plymouth Sloe gin

7.5 Oz lemon juice

7.5 oz. simple

3 egg whites

Combinr all ingrediants in Container. Charge with CO2. Carfully spray into rocks glass full of ice. let settle, top with more frothy goodness. No garnish to distract from the cotton candy pinkness.

[KatieLoeb]

That's sounds inspired!!! I love the idea of the foamy visual too.

How many drinks did that recipe make? I tend to use the Just Whites powdered egg whites. Raw eggs are too much of a liability issue.

I'll let you know when I'm making the trip to NYC. Would love to chat and have a cocktail.

[Alchemist]

That's sounds inspired!!!  I love the idea of the foamy visual too.

How many drinks did that recipe make?  I tend to use the Just Whites powdered egg whites.  Raw eggs are too much of a liability issue.

I'll let you know when I'm making the trip to NYC.  Would love to chat and have a cocktail.

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This was approx. Six cocktails, with a bunch of little tasters. The foam really streches the portions. I forget the term used for ice cream (overfill maybe) but it's air pumped into the product. Dairy Queen as 100% overfill. One pint magicly turns into two.

Eggs a liability? Wash the outside, then drop them into booze. What bacteria will survive. It's risker to eat your eggs over easy at the local diner than to have a silver fizz at a good bar. We use only organic eggs, bought daily. Handled properly, the liabilty issue is moot.

[crabbjay]

Just came up with a Spiced Pear Sangria-tini drink for a Spanish menu.  Dry white wine, spiced simple syrup, pear nectar and Belle de Brillet Cognac.  Very delicious.

The Belle de Brillet Cognac has to be the most delicious stuff I've ever tried.  Not inexpensive, but marries the best of both a fine Cognac and Poire Williams together smoothly.  Mmmmmmm...Yummy!   I have to go buy myself a bottle of this to have at home.

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Sounds absolutely delicious!! Would you be so kind as to share the recipe?

[KatieLoeb]

Just came up with a Spiced Pear Sangria-tini drink for a Spanish menu.  Dry white wine, spiced simple syrup, pear nectar and Belle de Brillet Cognac.  Very delicious.

The Belle de Brillet Cognac has to be the most delicious stuff I've ever tried.  Not inexpensive, but marries the best of both a fine Cognac and Poire Williams together smoothly.  Mmmmmmm...Yummy!   I have to go buy myself a bottle of this to have at home.

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Sounds absolutely delicious!! Would you be so kind as to share the recipe?

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I'll have to get back to you since I actually don't know the simple syrup ingredients. It's the Executive Sous Chef's secret! I know there's cinnamon, clove and I think star anise, but I'll get proportions and then get you the whole recipe.

[M.X.Hassett]

I have found both French four spice(Muntok white pepper, ground nutmeg, powdered ginger, and powdered cloves) and Penzey's Cake spice(China cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves) to be very good additions to sangria like drinks. These and similar spices are normally used for mulled wines but I find them a nice addition in sangria.

[Alchemist]

Have you tried Vietnamese cinnamon? It's got more pop than any other I've tried.

You've got me thinking about five spice now. Maybe mulling some wine, or infusing some rye? Maybe mulling the wine then making a NY sour with rye. Sounds wicked fallish.

[M.X.Hassett]

I have been using chinese cinnamon, mulled rye now that is an idea. Mulled cider and rye might work.

Edited October 10, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[limewine]

Similar in name to Falling Leaves, though different in taste is the Fallen Leaves (past versus present tense). I first came across it on Drinkboy's site, and now I like to turn to it for a little taste of autumn.

Fallen Leaves

3/4 ounce calvados

3/4 ounce sweet vermouth

1/4 ounce dry vermouth

dash brandy

Stir & strain; give it a good twist of lemon peel and enjoy.

If anybody gives this a spin with the Laird's bonded, I'd be curious to hear how it turns out.

Paul

[mbanu]

Sure next time you're in town I'll buy you a drink @ Pegu.

So I tried the fizz in a bottle.  Fan-tas-TICK!  It was light and fluffy, like the Cucumber foam on the Pimms Pony @ WD-50.  It went a little like this...

12 Oz.  Plymouth gin

@ Oz.  Plymouth Sloe gin

7.5 Oz lemon juice

7.5 oz. simple

3 egg whites

Combinr all ingrediants in Container.  Charge with CO2.  Carfully spray into rocks glass full of ice.  let settle, top with more frothy goodness.  No garnish to distract from the cotton candy pinkness.

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I dunno, just something about carbonated liquor bugs me the wrong way. Seems too much like you'd just end up with that same rough flavor you get in improperly made bacardi 151 drinks.

[cdh]

I've been doing a bit of thinking on the idea of fall drinks lately, having been appointed the mixmaster for party coming up. We need a punch-y sort of thing that can sit happily in a bowl unattended.

Looking at the Falling Leaves, I was inspired to riff on it in a punchier sort of way and came up with the following. I'd welcome impressions and suggestions.

1 bottle Laird's Apple Jack

1 bottle dry riesling

1 bottle gewurztraminer

2 cups honey syrup with a couple of drops of orange oil and a drop of lemon oil

a few shakes of Peychaud's

topped with a couple of bottles of fizzy pear cider

I think the spiciness of the gewurz will work with the fall fruit flavors, and the amount of honey syrup will need to be adjusted based on the sweetness of the wines used. The idea of infusing the honey syrup with more than just the citrus oils has come to mind, but I don't know what will get along with the anise-y minty aspects of the Peychauds. Suggestions welcome.

[M.X.Hassett]

Sure next time you're in town I'll buy you a drink @ Pegu.

So I tried the fizz in a bottle.  Fan-tas-TICK!  It was light and fluffy, like the Cucumber foam on the Pimms Pony @ WD-50.  It went a little like this...

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I dunno, just something about carbonated liquor bugs me the wrong way. Seems too much like you'd just end up with that same rough flavor you get in improperly made bacardi 151 drinks.

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I have had drinks made in seltzer bottle where all of the components are charged and I must say that I agree with Alchemist on this one. I have not found these drinks to be "rough" flavored at all, I might even say that they were smooth. Well back to my Bols experiments .

[eje]

Pomegranates are one of my favorite fall fruits. Some experimenting with Fee's Mint bitters and Pomegranate juice led me to this idea. I liked the mint flavor in combination with Pomegranates. However, it seemed to me that Fernet was a more interesting bitters. I'd like to try it with BrancaMenta; but, haven't managed to locate any yet.

Adjust simple syrup, depending on the tartness of your pomegranates and personal taste. I only got 1/4 cup or so of pomegranate juice from a medium pomegranate. You might want to use a commercial product.

-Erik

---------

2 oz Gin

1 oz Fresh Pomegranate Juice

1/2 tsp. simple syrup

Fernet Branca to coat glass

Chill a cocktail glass. Add a little Fernet and turn to coat the inside of the glass. Shake out excess. Shake Gin, Pomegranate, and Syrup in an iced cocktail shaker. Strain into glass.

[KatieLoeb]

I've been doing a bit of thinking on the idea of fall drinks lately, having been appointed the mixmaster for party coming up.  We need a punch-y sort of thing that can sit happily in a bowl unattended. 

Looking at the Falling Leaves, I was inspired to riff on it in a punchier sort of way and came up with the following.  I'd welcome impressions and suggestions.

1 bottle Laird's Apple Jack

1 bottle dry riesling

1 bottle gewurztraminer

2 cups honey syrup with a couple of drops of orange oil and a drop of lemon oil

a few shakes of Peychaud's

topped with a couple of bottles of fizzy pear cider

I think the spiciness of the gewurz will work with the fall fruit flavors, and the amount of honey syrup will need to be adjusted based on the sweetness of the wines used.  The idea of infusing the honey syrup with more than just the citrus oils has come to mind, but I don't know what will get along with the anise-y minty aspects of the Peychauds.  Suggestions welcome.

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Chris:

This sounds very tasty to me. Similar to the pear, spice and wine combo in my drink above. And as a lover of gewurz, it also appeals from that perspective.

[KatieLoeb]

Just came up with a Spiced Pear Sangria-tini drink for a Spanish menu.  Dry white wine, spiced simple syrup, pear nectar and Belle de Brillet Cognac.  Very delicious.

The Belle de Brillet Cognac has to be the most delicious stuff I've ever tried.  Not inexpensive, but marries the best of both a fine Cognac and Poire Williams together smoothly.  Mmmmmmm...Yummy!   I have to go buy myself a bottle of this to have at home.

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Sounds absolutely delicious!! Would you be so kind as to share the recipe?

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OK - here's the spicing for the simple syrup, in decending quantities.

Mexican Canela or Cinnamon sticks

star anise

cloves

peppercorns

red chile flakes

I'm talking about 5 or so cinnamon sticks, a 8-10 star anise, a tablespoon each of cloves and peppercorns and a teaspoon or so of red chile flakes to one quart of 1:1 sugar:water simple syrup. Boil the spices in the syrup for five minutes and allow to cool overnight. Strain. Syrup should be "dessert spicy" with a subtle heat.

This spiced syrup is delicious in sangria, mulled wine and other cocktails as well.

The drink is called "Talk to Her" and is currently on the specialty cocktail list at Amada restaurant, here in Philadelphia.

3 oz. dry white wine

.5 oz. Belle de Brillet Pear Cognac

1 oz. Pear nectar

.5 oz. spiced simple syrup

Splash of sweetened and diluted fresh lime juice (2 parts fresh lime juice, 1 part water and just enough sugar to take the sharp acrid edge off the citrus)

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Float a thinly sliced (on a mandoline) Asian pear on the top of the drink.

[eje]

Mexican Canela or Cinnamon sticks

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The whole thing does sound good, as well as the simple syrup.

I get confused about Cinnamon, though.

I find myself gravitating towards the flavor of Mexican cinnamon. Is Mexican cinnamon "true" cinnamon? I know there is something about cassia bark, etc. and some cinnamons are true cinnamons and others are cassia. Not sure where Mexican falls.

-Erik

PS. We're big Almodovar fans here. Can never make Gazpacho without thinking of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown".

Edited October 14, 2005 by eje (log)

[Ktepi]

Lapsang souchong always reminds me of the smell of burning leaves -- and therefore of fall -- so I made a syrup of it tonight, 1:1 tea:sugar. It's very caramelly and a bit smoky -- but I think the tea needed to be stronger, because testing it out in a little rye with bitters, that smokiness disappeared (although the sweetness is still noticeably different from simple syrup).

I see some lapsang souchong cocktail brainstorming from slkinsey in this thread, all of which sounds pretty fall-appropriate (and I even have the Stone's ginger wine, which I bought because I can never find Canton liqueur anymore). I had originally been thinking rye or bourbon, but maybe whiskey is just too strong -- I've added a little more of the syrup now, figuring that it'll be too sweet but I'll get a sense of how the flavor works ... and it's still not quite standing out enough, although that caramel is there in the aftertaste.

And maybe lapsang souchong-infused liquor would be a better idea than the syrup -- I was going for two birds with one stone here, cause a lapsang souchong ice cream topping would be pretty great, and I was imagining a sundae with the toffee-covered bacon I make.

[eje]

I tried making a cranberry champagne cocktail to start my over the top Thanksgiving dinner last year (Cava, cranberry puree and a sugar cube soaked in orange bitters).  It turned out okay, but I had some trouble with the cranberry puree I made being a little to cohesive due to the pectin and therefore not diffusing into the drink as well as I might have liked.

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Last year our hosts served champagne with a dollop of pom wonderful pomegranate juice. Something about anti-oxidants which I thought was pretty lame. So very California.

You've inspired me to serve cranberry champagne cocktails, except I'm going to use homemade Cranberry Liqueur instead of cranberry puree. There's still time to start your own!

-Erik

[crabbjay]

I'm talking about 5 or so cinnamon sticks, a 8-10 star anise, a tablespoon each of cloves and peppercorns and a teaspoon or so of red chile flakes to one quart of 1:1 sugar:water simple syrup. Boil the spices in the syrup for five minutes and allow to cool overnight.  Strain.  Syrup should be "dessert spicy" with a subtle heat.

QUESTION: do you make the simple syrup first, and then boil the spices in the already made simple syrup, or do you make it all at the same time (water, sugar, spices all together at the same time)? Hope that makes sense.

Thanks so much for posting the recipe!!

[slkinsey]

I tried making a cranberry champagne cocktail to start my over the top Thanksgiving dinner last year (Cava, cranberry puree and a sugar cube soaked in orange bitters).  It turned out okay, but I had some trouble with the cranberry puree I made being a little to cohesive due to the pectin and therefore not diffusing into the drink as well as I might have liked.

Last year our hosts served champagne with a dollop of pom wonderful pomegranate juice. Something about anti-oxidants which I thought was pretty lame. So very California.

You've inspired me to serve cranberry champagne cocktails, except I'm going to use homemade Cranberry Liqueur instead of cranberry puree. There's still time to start your own!

I'm actually going to make something similar this season using cranberry syrup (1 part cranberry extract from the health food store, 1 part water and 2 parts sugar) instead of cranberry puree. I'll put in the sugar cube, douse with orange bitters, fill with champagne and then pour in an ounce or so of the cranberry syrup, which I hope will make an interesting color effect.

[kjohn]

Alchemist - you are a true and creatively inspired cocktalian.  I'd would love to have a drink with you sometime.  We'd have a lot to talk about...

Love the technical terms. 

Sure next time you're in town I'll buy you a drink @ Pegu.

So I tried the fizz in a bottle. Fan-tas-TICK! It was light and fluffy, like the Cucumber foam on the Pimms Pony @ WD-50. It went a little like this...

12 Oz. Plymouth gin

@ Oz. Plymouth Sloe gin

7.5 Oz lemon juice

7.5 oz. simple

3 egg whites

Combinr all ingrediants in Container. Charge with CO2. Carfully spray into rocks glass full of ice. let settle, top with more frothy goodness. No garnish to distract from the cotton candy pinkness.

←

Great technique! Why hasn't it ever occurred to me before!

Love your book BTW. I received it as a Christmas gift from my gf years ago. It's how I learned to make drinks.

Edited October 14, 2005 by kjohn (log)