Joseph Fredrickson’s
Pork and Pineapple Smoked Sage Sour
“The herbaceous flavor profile of sage adds aroma and depth to the drink,” says Fredrickson, owner of Society Lounge and Sixth City Sailors Club. “To add flair and excitement to your cocktail, light a sage leaf on fire under an upside-down glass, then turn the glass over and pour in the drink.”
Create a sage simple syrup by adding 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 8 sage leaves to a pot, bringing it to a boil. Allow to cool, then strain and store in the fridge. Cook 3-5 pieces of smoked bacon and add the rendered fat to one bottle of bourbon. Keep at room temperature for 24 hours, then place mixture in the freezer until grease is frozen. Strain the grease out of the bourbon using a cheese cloth, and combine 2 ounces of the smoked bacon-infused bourbon with 3/4 ounce sage syrup, 1/2 ounce lemon juice and 1/2 ounce pineapple juice.
Three More To Try:
Jill Vedaa's
Cranberry Margarita
Shake things up with this cocktail from Jill Vedaa, chef and co-owner of Salt, which combines homemade cranberry sauce with tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur and simple syrup.
To create the cranberry sauce, combine 1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and the zest of 1 orange in a pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until it’s reduced and the cranberries have burst. Let cool. Create a simple syrup by bringing 1 cup water and 1 1/2 cups sugar to a boil and simmer until sugar has dissolved. In a shaker with ice, pour 2 1/2 ounces blanco or reposado tequila, 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice, 1 ounce cranberry sauce, 1/2 ounce orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or triple sec), 1 ounce simple syrup and shake vigorously. Run a lime wedge along the rim of the glass and roll the rim in coarse salt. Add ice to the glass, then strain in the contents of the shaker.
Mitch Didion's
Harvest Moon
Bartender Mitch Didion from Cloak & Dagger put butternut squash to use by creating a syrup and mixing it with chai cashew milk, cognac, rye whiskey, lemon juice and angostura bitters for a nutty, complex cocktail.
In a medium or large saucepan, warm 1 teaspoon neutral oil over medium-high heat, and add one small peeled and cubed butternut squash. Once squash is lightly browned, add 2 cups water, 1 cinnamon stick, and 5-7 allspice berries, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low, add 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup raw cane sugar, and stir until dissolved. Once completely dissolved, remove from heat and let cool. Discard the cinnamon and allspice, and transfer to blender. Blend until smooth and strain through a fine strainer to finish the simple syrup. To create the chai cashew milk, simmer 1 masala chai teabag in 1 cup cashew milk for 10-15 minutes, adding cinnamon sticks or whole cloves to taste, if desired. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves when done. Then, in a cocktail shaker, combine 1/4 ounce chai cashew milk, 1 ounce butternut squash syrup, 1 ounce cognac, 1 ounce Rittenhouse rye whiskey, 1/4 ounce lemon juice and 2 dashes of angostura bitters. Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a whole star anise.
Kathleen Sullivan's
Hot Caramel
Kathleen Sullivan, chief operating officer of the Spotted Owl, turns up the heat by combining hot caramel oat milk, cacao nib-infused whiskey, Hardy’s Whiskers Blake Tawny Port and bitter cocoa whipped cream.
Grind 1/2 cup coco nibs in a mortar and pestle until slightly coarse. In a jar, combine coarse nibs with 24 ounces George Dickel Rye whiskey. Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Strain the whiskey through a damp cheese cloth, set in a strainer, into a clean glass jar and set aside. Mix 2 droppers-full of Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters into 2 cups of your favorite whipped cream and set aside. Heat 12 ounces caramel sauce and 32 ounces unsweetened oat milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat to a near simmer, stirring until caramel is incorporated. Remove from heat. In an Irish coffee mug, combine 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 ounce Whiskers Blake Tawny Port and 1 ounce cacao nib-infused rye whiskey. Top with hot caramel oat milk, leaving 1/2 inch of space to top with bitter cocoa whipped cream. Serve warm.
