HOT WEATHER HEALERS
CHILLED OUT COCKTAILS TO CLEANSE AND REFRESH
…
WHO DOESN’T LOVE SUMMER? SUNNY DAYS SPENT AT THE BEACH, SURROUNDED BY THE SCENTS OF SALTWATER, HOT SAND, AND SUNSCREEN; FOURTH OF JULY PICNICS, COMPLETE WITH SPARKLERS, S’MORES, AND POTATO SALAD; BARBEQUES THAT STRETCH LATE INTO THE EVENING. BUT WHEN THE TEMPERATURE—AND THE HUMIDITY—SKYROCKETS, IT’S TRULY TOUGH TO BEAT THE HEAT. THAT’S WHEN WE ALL SCURRY INDOORS, CRANK UP THE AC, AND RAID THE FRIDGE IN SEARCH OF COLD DRINKS.
S ure, you want to cool down, and fast—but don’t reach for a beer or a sugary soda. Try a craft cocktail instead. As the pharmacists and apothecaries of yore would have known, there are plenty of handmade preparations that can help cool down sweaty bodies from the inside out. These curatives had to heal as well as refresh, so they’d have been made with herbs, spices, citrus fruits, and even fresh, garden-grown vegetables. (Traditionally, pharmacists would have used alcohol as a preservative to protect delicate herbs and spices from sweltering heat and spoilage.) We all know that it’s important to drink plenty of plain water year-round in order to stay healthy (especially when you’re drinking alcohol), but there are other ways to get your H20: the fresh citrus juices used in hot-weather cocktails, such as orange, lemon, lime, and pineapple, also offer a hit of hydration in addition to a dose of vitamin C. And drinks that call for fizzy water, such as club soda or seltzer, help you feel cooler a bit quicker thanks to those refreshing little bubbles, and they can help pep up flagging appetites, too.
Using exotic spices and flavorful ingredients such as hot chiles in cocktails can help bring down body temperature and aid healing. When we eat spicy foods such as chiles, we tend to sweat, which creates moisture on the surface of the skin. When the wind blows across damp skin, you feel cooler immediately. That’s why the Roasted Tomato and Chile Bloody Mary, enjoyed in the warmth of the sun, is so effective against overheating (not to mention hangovers). And anise, a key ingredient in anisette, one of the key ingredients in the Orange Zest Oasis, is renowned as a relaxant for both body and mind, and as a cure for all manner of digestive disorders. It’s no accident that it’s often enjoyed before or after meals: it soothes the belly and calms the brain. Fresh coconut water, which takes center stage in the Coconut Cooler, carries precious potassium, which is a valuable electrolyte that’s depleted through sweating. (Maybe that’s why the pina colada is such a popular beach-side tipple!)
But cooling cocktails aren’t necessarily all about exotic flavors. Fruits and vegetables from your own garden pack powerful healing properties, too. Use your harvest to make a batch of the English Pea and Mint Shrub, then combine it with Rhum Agricole, lime juice, bitters, and a dash of appetite-boosting nutmeg it in a Last-Minute Rumpus. Or, if you’ve got rhubarb—also known as “pie plant”—in your garden, put it to good use in your cocktails. Old-time pharmacists certainly would have, since rhubarb has been used in healing for centuries. And it’s delicious in cool drinks like the Rhubarb Fizz with Charred Strawberries. If you’d rather skip the booze altogether, go ahead: try my Tiki Mocktail, or Mr. Rankeillor’s Door—a simple concoction of my Cucumber-Basil Shrub plus a little soda water, bitters, and sea salt—on shown here. Never fear: these mocktails are so flavorful that you won’t miss the booze, not even a little bit.
Don’t let the dog days of summer get you down! Embrace the heat with these rejuvenating craft cocktails.
ORANGE ZEST OASIS
Pharmacists of old might have treated hot, parched bodies with anise, which is said to be both calming and cooling to the overheated constitution, plus other herbs and spices—and, of course, the whole lot would have been preserved in a hefty dose of high-proof alcohol. This sweet-and-bitter cocktail takes its inspiration from just such a combination: Here, muddled oranges bathed in dry sake offset the fragrant anisette.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 ORANGE SLICES, CUT INTO QUARTERS
_ 1/2 TABLESPOON (7 ML) ROOT TEA SYRUP
_ 1/4 OUNCE (7 ML) ANISETTE
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) DRY SAKE
_ 4 DROPS THAI BITTERS
_ 1 EGG WHITE
_ ORANGE ZEST TWIST
DIRECTIONS
Put the orange slices in the bottom of a Boston shaker, and muddle with a cocktail stick or the long end of a wooden spoon. Then add the remaining ingredients, one at a time. Shake them well for thirty seconds. Strain the frothy mixture into a coupé glass. Garnish with a flamed orange zest twist (pinch the zest firmly and hold it behind a lit match to release the citrusy oils). It’s the perfect way to beat the heat.
◁ THE RUNAWAY MOUNTAIN TRAIN
If you’re like me, the mere mention of muddled blueberries makes your mouth water: think plucking sun-warmed wild blueberries straight from the bush and popping them straight into your mouth; think freshly baked blueberry pie topped with vanilla ice cream. Sigh. This cocktail mixes those summertime pleasures with smoky millet whiskey and a fragrant hit of maple syrup for a lightly fizzy drink that’s delicious any time of year (although it’s best made with wild blueberries, if you can get them!) As in life, so in the art of mixology: You need the salt and the bitters to balance the cocktail’s luscious sweetness.
INGREDIENTS
_ 1/4 CUP (35 G) BLUEBERRIES (PREFERABLY WILD MAINE BLUEBERRIES)
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) MILLET WHISKEY
_ 1 TEASPOON (5 ML) MAPLE SYRUP
_ HAND-CUT ICE
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) CLUB SODA
_ PINCH OF SEA SALT
_ DASH OF CITRUS BITTERS
DIRECTIONS
Muddle the blueberries in a Boston shaker. Add the millet whiskey and the maple syrup. Fill the shaker three-quarters full with ice. Cap and shake for about 15 seconds. Place one cube of hand-cut ice into each of two rocks glasses, and then split the contents of the shaker between the two glasses. Top each with a splash of club soda; add a pinch of sea salt to each; and then finish with a few drops of citrus bitters. Serves 2 parched passengers.
GINGER-LIME SHRUB
It’s likely that a version of this luscious shrub would have been served aboard sailing ships in days of yore, so that thirsty sailors could escape scurvy. Fragile citrus fruit wouldn’t have lasted long, but luckily, the apple cider vinegar in this recipe acts as a powerful preservative. These days, a Ginger-Lime Shrub is a flavorful addition to dozens of thirst-quenching cocktails—especially ones involving rum. Hard to starboard, lads!
INGREDIENTS
_ PEELED ZEST OF 4 WELL-WASHED LIMES (DISCARD THE PITH: IT’S VERY BITTER)
_ 4 LIMES (RESERVE THE ONES FROM THE ZEST), QUARTERED
_ 1 CUP (200 G) DEMERARA SUGAR
_ 6 TABLESPOONS (48 G) FRESHLY GRATED GINGER ROOT
_ 1–2 CUPS (235–475 ML) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (DEPENDING ON THE HEIGHT OF THE INGREDIENTS WHEN PLACED IN A BOWL)
DIRECTIONS
Time: 3–4 weeks. In a nonreactive bowl, combine the sugar, lime peels, lime chunks, and the ginger. Stir to combine and coat all the fruit with sugar. Cover and leave at room temperature at least overnight or for 1–2 days. (Slow, cool fermentation gives a shrub its trademark bite.) Now prepare your shrub for aging. Set a strainer over another nonreactive bowl and pour the lime and ginger chunks into the strainer. Use a stout wooden spoon to extract as much juice as possible from the limes and the softened ginger chunks. Let the mixture sit for a few more hours. Stir again, and discard the fruit chunks. Stir in the vinegar, and then use a funnel to transfer the shrub syrup to a sterilized bottle. Seal, and then shake well to combine. Store the bottles in the refrigerator or at cellar temperature for 3–4 weeks before using. Shake each bottle once or twice daily to help the sugar dissolve. When it’s mostly dissolved, your shrub is ready to use. Makes 11/2 cups. Keep refrigerated, and use within about 6 months. (If the bottle gets foamy, changes radically in color, or if you suddenly notice small sea animals gorging themselves on thin wafers inside the bottle, just throw it out. If you don’t tell anyone about the sea animals or the thin wafers, I promise I won’t, either.)
◁ GINGER-LIME SHRUB WITH RHUM AGRICOLE AND SALTY LEMONADE
This easy-to-make but very grown-up glass of lemonade also showcases that classic ginger-lime-rum combination. I make mine with a healthy portion of 100-proof Rhum Agricole (which, if drunk on its own, is guaranteed to put hair on your eyeballs). Rhum Agricole is handmade on the French island of Martinique, and it’s never factory-produced, which is why I prefer it. But, in a pinch, any good white rum will do. Add a toothsome crunch to your lemonade by sprinkling a little fleur de sel, or sea salt, into it. The salt-lemon combination will make you thirsty, but the sugar and vinegar in the shrub syrup will quench your thirst in double time. This cocktail makes a great summertime aperitif: Mix up a batch at your next barbeque.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) 100-PROOF RHUM AGRICOLE BLANC
_ 2 TABLESPOONS (30 ML) GINGER-LIME SHRUB
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) FRESHLY MADE LEMONADE SWEETENED WITH RAW HONEY OR SIMPLE SYRUP
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) SELTZER WATER
_ 1 PINCH FLEUR DE SEL
_ 2–3 DROPS LIME BITTERS
_ HAND-CUT ICE SPEAR
DIRECTIONS
Add the Ginger-Lime Shrub to a Collins-style glass. Then add the ice spear. Top with the Rhum Agricole Blanc, the lemonade, and a splash of seltzer water. Sprinkle a pinch of fleur de sel into the drink, and finish with a couple drops of lime bitters. It’s ridiculously refreshing.
◁ RHUBARB FIZZ WITH CHARRED STRAWBERRIES
Fizzes are delicious, revitalizing preparations that suspend healing botanicals, liquors, and/or juices in seltzer water, and the Rhubarb Fizz is a famous—or infamous—example. Add some botanical gin, the effervescence of seltzer water, and plenty of crushed ice, and you’ve got a cooling cocktail that’s powerfully restorative. (Gin is an analgesic, by the way, so this is just the thing for that heat-induced headache.)
INGREDIENTS
_ 1/4 CUP (40 G) CHARRED STRAWBERRIES (SEAR STRAWBERRIES IN A CAST-IRON PAN OVER VERY HIGH HEAT, THEN SET ASIDE UNTIL COOL)
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) 80-PROOF RHUBARB TEA LIQUEUR (PREFERABLY ORGANIC)
_ 1 OUNCE (25 ML) BOTANICAL GIN
_ ICE CUBES
_ 1 OUNCE (25 ML) SIMPLE SYRUP
_ SELTZER WATER
_ CRUSHED ICE
DIRECTIONS
Add about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the charred strawberries and the simple syrup to a Boston shaker. Muddle them until they make a fragrant pulp. Then add the rhubarb tea liqueur and the botanical gin, and pile the crushed ice over the liquors and strawberries until the shaker is three-quarters full. Shake well for twenty seconds, scoop some of the crushed ice into a coupé glass (its texture will have become slushy), strain the mixture over the ice, and top with seltzer water. Prepare to be healed!
MAPLE SYRUP SWITCHEL
Switchel originated in the Caribbean, and quickly became popular in the United States. And, like shrubs, it’s definitely making a comeback. Top a portion with a couple drops of my Cocktail Whisperer’s Raw Honey Aromatic Bitters, and a little soda water, if you like. It’s a great way to chill out during hot, humid weather.
INGREDIENTS
_ 3 TABLESPOONS (45 ML) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
_ 4 TABLESPOONS (60 ML) GRADE B (OR DARK AMBER/COOKING) MAPLE SYRUP
_ 1 TABLESPOON (8 G) OF GRATED FRESH GINGER ROOT
_ 1 CUP (235 ML) OF COOL SPRING WATER (WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T SUBSTITUTE TAP WATER!)
DIRECTIONS
Time: 24 hours. Combine all the ingredients in a sterilized Mason jar. Cover tightly and store in the fridge for at least 24 hours, shaking to combine the ingredients. This lasts for several months in the fridge.
◁ COCONUT COOLER
In the Caribbean islands, old-time pharmacists might have been called on to help patients counter the effects of too much sun. Their solution was probably a simple one, relying on potassium-packed coconut water for hydration and for a much-needed blast of potassium, and local rum to ease the sufferer’s body and mind. Pharmacists may have packed their coconuts in ice overnight to ensure that the coconut water—the nutrient-dense, milky liquid inside the fruit—was well-chilled before punching holes in them in order to pour a healthy dose of rum inside. Since coconut water has plenty of potassium and other electrolytes, it’s a speedy way to replenish much-needed nutrients in the midst of mind-boggling heat. And the best part is, there’s no glass to wash afterwards.
INGREDIENTS
_ ONE LARGE COCONUT, CHILLED
_ 6 OUNCES (175 ML) RHUM AGRICOLE
DIRECTIONS
Chill the coconut by keeping it on ice overnight, or by storing it in the refrigerator. Using a drill, puncture three holes into the coconut (but don’t discard the precious water inside!) (In the islands, a machete is often used to punch holes into coconuts. Some people who use machetes are missing their fingertips. I'm not one of them.) Add the Rhum Agricole through one of the holes, using a funnel if necessary. Stick a straw into each of the holes, and sip the contents while cheek-to-cheek with a close friend. Serves 2.
◁ TIKI MOCKTAIL
Get ready to stage a return to the 1940s and 50s, when tiki culture reigned supreme—especially in matters of food and drink. This velvety, coconut-scented, tropically influenced mocktail will take you there in a jiffy. Buy yourself a bottle of orgeat: it’s a softly textured syrup that’s enlivened with almonds, pure cane sugar, and either rose- or orange-flower water. In my Tiki Mocktail, it’s combined with the usual tiki-esque suspects: lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit juices, plus coconut cream and the requisite pineapple juice. But there’s a twist: Toasty, smoky chicory powder adds the richness of rum to the mix, even though this drink is liquor-free. Decadent and slightly kitschy, you’ll be thrilled that you can drink as many of these as you like with no fear of the consequences. Best served alongside a grass skirt and a lei.
INGREDIENTS
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) GOOD-QUALITY ESPRESSO POWDER (FOR QUICK ENERGY)
_ 1 OUNCE (28 G) CHICORY POWDER (ELIMINATES INTESTINAL WORMS, IN CASE YOU WERE CURIOUS)
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED GRAPEFRUIT JUICE
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED PINEAPPLE JUICE
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) FALERNUM OR ORGEAT SYRUP
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) COCONUT CREAM
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME JUICE
_ FRESH MINT SPRIGS
_ COCKTAIL WHISPERER’S RAW HONEY AROMATIC BITTERS
_ FRESHLY SCRAPED NUTMEG
DIRECTIONS
Fill a blender half full with ice, then add all the ingredients except the mint, bitters, and the nutmeg. Blend on high for 20 seconds, and pour into tiki-style mugs. Dot the top of each drink with 2 drops of my Raw Honey Aromatic Bitters, a sprig of fresh mint, and a little of the freshly grated nutmeg for a colorful, aromatic finish. Serve with a spoon, if desired. Serves 2, with a refill.
◁ TWISTED CACHAÇA SOUR
Bitters aren’t for savory cocktails only. They’ve long been key features of tropical libations, like the famous Peruvian Pisco Sour. In this twisted version of that classic, I’ve replaced the Pisco with Cachaça, a kind of sugarcane-based, barrel-aged, distilled spirit that’s the very soul of Brazil. Don’t indulge in more than two of these, though; they’re treacherously smooth.
INGREDIENTS
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) CACHAÇA
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) GREEN CHARTREUSE
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) GINGER-LIME SHRUB
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME JUICE
_ 1 EGG WHITE
_ 3 DROPS GRAPEFRUIT BITTERS
_ SMASHED ICE
DIRECTIONS
Mix the Cachaça and chartreuse with the Ginger-Lime Shrub. Add the fresh lime juice, the simple syrup, and the egg white to your Boston Shaker, and then add enough bar ice to fill to shaker three-quarters full. Cap and shake hard for 15 seconds. Put a fistful of smashed ice into a coupe glass, and pour the mixture over. Dot grapefruit bitters directly on top of the egg white foam, and serve.
◁ SUNSET OVER THE GANGES COCKTAIL
Ice is the major consideration here, so please make your coconut water ice the day before—or at least eight hours before—you plan to enjoy one of these. The ice must be perfectly firm so that it can be shaved properly. How does one shave ice, you ask? Buy or borrow a woodworker’s rasp (if you decide to do the latter, please remove all wood splinters, oils, et cetera, before you attempt to shave the ice!) The consistency you’re going for is a sort of a fine, slushy, coconutty gravel. Combined with whisky and a dash of spice from Teapot Bitters, this mysterious combination of South Asian ingredients mimics India’s sweet-and-spicy chai tea. Remember, don’t use the cheap stuff: Use only a high-quality brand of single-malt Indian whisky for this cocktail.
INGREDIENTS
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) INDIAN WHISKY
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) BASIC SIMPLE SYRUP
_ SHAVED ICE, MADE FROM COCONUT WATER
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) CLUB SODA
_ 5 DROPS TEAPOT BITTERS
DIRECTIONS
Shave the coconut water ice with a woodworking rasp (if it’s not brand-new, make sure it’s absolutely clean of any wood shavings or oils). The ice should be the consistency of the Italian ices you loved as a kid. Keep the coconut water ice dry by placing a dry cloth over it. Fill a mixing glass three-quarters full with plain ice. Add the whisky and the simple syrup. Stir well until chilled. Pack an old-fashioned glass with the shaved coconut water ice, and strain the mixture on top of the shaved ice. Top with the club soda, and drip 5 drops of the Teapot Bitters over the top of the drink. Garnish with two small bar straws. Sip, and watch the sun go down.
CHINESE ICED TEA WITH STAR ANISE
Strangely enough, star anise isn’t related to aniseed—although the two herbs share a distinctive, licorice flavor, and both are used to alleviate upset stomachs and freshen breath. Star anise is frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine to warm the body and stimulate circulation. It’s also said to possess antibacterial and antifungal qualities, and is often added to hot tea in order to relieve persistent colds, coughs, and other flu symptoms. This curative, an Asian-influenced take on the classic iced tea, is a great way to lift flagging spirits and refresh hot, tired bodies on a sultry summer day. Anise, ginger, and lemon are flavorful complements to one another, while antioxidant-rich Chinese black tea may be good for heart health. Top it off with botanical gin, and you’ve got a cocktail that’s as tasty and invigorating as it is healing.
INGREDIENTS
_ 1 SMALL POT (ABOUT 2 CUPS [475 ML]) ICED CHINESE BLACK TEA
_ 2 PODS CHINESE STAR ANISE
_ 4 TABLESPOONS (60 ML) GINGER SIMPLE SYRUP
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
_ 6 OUNCES (175 ML) BOTANICAL GIN
_ SPRIG OF FRESH MINT FOR GARNISH
DIRECTIONS
Brew the pot of Chinese black tea; then let it cool. Add the star anise, ginger simple syrup, lemon juice, and gin to the pot, and mix well. Pack two Collins glasses with ice; then fill them with the iced tea, and garnish each glass with fresh mint. Serves 2 tired tipplers.
ENGLISH PEA AND MINT SHRUB
Shrubs don’t need to be fruit-based—and neither do cocktails. Ready in just a day and a half, sweet peas and fragrant mint take center stage in this toothsome shrub that’s inspired by your springtime vegetable garden. They’re mixed with richly textured Demerara sugar, and then quickly preserved in luxurious champagne vinegar, and the result is a most beguiling, bright-green syrup that’s a surprising, refreshing complement to white rum, or even to plain seltzer water. If you can tie yourself to the mast and avoid the shrub’s siren call, go ahead and age it in the fridge for a month—but I bet you won’t be able to restrain yourself from using it the minute it’s ready.
INGREDIENTS
_ 1 POUND (455 G) FRESH PEAS, SHELLED, THEN BLANCHED (ADD A PINCH OF BAKING SODA TO BOILING WATER, AND THEN SUBMERGE THE PEAS IN THE WATER FOR A FEW SECONDS: THE BAKING SODA WILL ENHANCE THEIR VIVID GREEN COLOR) AND LIGHTLY CRUSHED
_ 1 CUP (235 ML) DEMERARA SUGAR SIMPLE SYRUP
_ 1 CUP (235 ML) CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR
_ 1 CUP (95 G) FRESH MINT, WASHED AND SLAPPED TO RELEASE ITS ESSENTIAL OILS
DIRECTIONS
Time: 36 hours. Combine the blanched, lightly crushed peas and simple syrup in a nonreactive bowl, and let them sit at room temperature overnight. The next morning, stir the mixture well with a wooden spoon, and then add the champagne vinegar and slapped mint. Stir again, and keep in the fridge for 24 hours so that the flavors combine (be sure to keep your bowl well-covered: You don’t want your delicate flavors ruined by that bowl of leftover garlic pasta that lives on the other side of the fridge!). Place a sieve over another nonreactive bowl, and transfer the mixture to the sieve, pressing down so as to extract as much juice and pea solids as possible. Funnel the mixture into sterilized bottles or jars, and use immediately. Or, let it ferment for up to another month or two in the fridge, shaking the bottles daily so that the sumptuous flavors combine.
◁ LAST-MINUTE RUMPUS
Try serving this savory libation alongside a first course, like a simple salad of avocado, citrus, and chopped hazelnuts. Or, indulge in a little daytime drinking, and mix up a Last-Minute Rumpus on one of those late Saturday afternoons when a lazy brunch with a couple of friends stretches right into cocktail hour.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) RHUM AGRICOLE BLANC (100 PROOF)
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) ENGLISH PEA AND MINT SHRUB
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) COOL SPRING WATER
_ 2 DROPS SARSAPARILLA BITTERS
_ SQUEEZE OF FRESH LIME JUICE
_ SCRAPING OF FRESH NUTMEG
DIRECTIONS
Add the first two ingredients to a rocks glass (no ice necessary). Pour the cool spring water over the top, and mix with your (clean) finger. Add the bitters, followed by the lime juice, and then scrape a little fresh nutmeg into the drink as a final flourish—serve immediately.
◁ ROASTED TOMATO AND CHILI BLOODY MARY
One of the best things about summertime is that gardens and farmers’ markets overflow with juicy melons, succulent strawberries, delicate lettuces, and firm, deep-red tomatoes. It’s the perfect time to cool down with this spicy twist on the classic Bloody Mary. Trust me, the rich flavor of roasted tomatoes really makes it worth turning on the oven, even in sizzling heat.
INGREDIENTS
_ 6 OUNCES (175 ML) GOOD-QUALITY VODKA
_ 6 OUNCES (175 ML) ROASTED TOMATO PUREE
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) LEMON JUICE
_ 2 TABLESPOONS (30 ML) HOT CHILI SAUCE (A SWEET-AND-SPICY ONE WORKS BEST, SUCH AS VIETNAMESE SRIRACHA)
_ ICE CUBES
_ DASH OF CELERY SALT
DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients except the celery salt in a large glass, and mix gently (with a celery stick, perhaps?). Just before serving, sprinkle the celery salt over the top of the drink. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Find a spot in the shade, sip slowly, and cool down from the inside out. Serves 2.
HEIRLOOM TOMATO, PEAR, AND SAGE SHRUB
One evening I found myself sampling a large selection of French eau de vie—strong, clear fruit brandy—at the New York restaurant Rouge Tomate. One of the many liquors I tried that night was made with—count ‘em—62 different varieties of heirloom tomato. The haunting tomatoey taste and fragrance infused each sip. Then my thoughts turned to Poire William, an eau de vie that’s made from impossibly tart pears. What if, I thought, it were possible to combine those tart pears with a portion of the tomato eau de vie—combined, say, with a touch of vinegar, crumbled sage, and simple syrup? Stop right there: Before you object, “Where on earth am I going to get tomato eau de vie?” I have the answer: Skip the eau de vie, and make a batch of my Heirloom Tomato, Pear, and Sage Shrub instead. It’s an incredible partner for gin-based cocktails.
INGREDIENTS
_ 1 CUP (255 G) DICED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES
_ 3–4 SAGE LEAVES, CRUMBLED
_ 1 CUP (235 ML) BOSC PEAR “SHRUB” SIMPLE SYRUP
_ 1 CUP (235 ML) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
DIRECTIONS
Time: 24 hours. Combine the diced tomatoes, sage, and Bosc Pear “Shrub” Simple Syrup in a nonreactive bowl. Stir to combine, then cover the bowl and let the mixture sit at room temperature overnight or for 12 hours. Add the vinegar, stir, cover, and refrigerate for another 12 hours to combine the flavors. Place a nonreactive strainer over a second bowl, and transfer the mixture to the strainer, pressing down on the tomato-sage pulp to extract as much flavor as possible. Funnel into sterilized bottles or jars, and use immediately—or, store in the fridge for a month to let the flavors combine.
◁ THE ENLIGHTENER
Although some say that mezcal’s smoky scent and flavor make it a less versatile spirit than its close relative, tequila, I disagree. The Enlightener is proof positive: it’s a great way to showcase mezcal’s merits. A distant relative of the margarita, this cooling cocktail brightens up mezcal with sweet agave syrup, a trio of citrus juices, and a dash of fizzy water, creating a crisp, fragrant, vitamin C-laced tipple that’s sure to banish the sweat from your brow. And, naturally, palate-stimulating Mexican bitters top off this memorable slurp. It’s a refreshing route to good cheer, Cocktail Whisperer-style.
INGREDIENTS
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) MEZCAL
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) AGAVE SYRUP
_ 1 OUNCE (25 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE
_ 1 OUNCE (25 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED GRAPEFRUIT JUICE
_ 1 OUNCE (25 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME JUICE
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) SELTZER WATER
_ 4 DROPS MEXICAN BITTERS
_ LIME WHEEL FOR GARNISH
DIRECTIONS
Add the mezcal, agave syrup, and fruit juices to a Boston shaker filled three-quarters full with ice. Shake for about twenty seconds, until the vessel is frosty. Strain into a coupé glass, and top with the seltzer water and then the bitters. Pop the lime wheel over the edge of the glass for garnish. Lift your glass, and say goodbye to the blues.
◁ ANOTHER THOR COCKTAIL
You might not think that Scotch is a match for Tiki-style drinks, with their fresh citrus juices and coconutty sweetness—but now is the time to think again. The saline, smoky finish of, say, an Islay Scotch whisky makes it just as desirable in tropical cocktails as hearty, barrel-aged rum. Named for the Norse god of thunder, Another Thor mixes good Islay Scotch with orange, pineapple, lemon, and lime juices, as well as a little orgeat syrup (orgeat is a sweet, almond-flavored syrup that’s used in lots of cocktails, such as the Mai Tai). A dash of curried bitters and a splash of palate-lifting club soda make for a surprising finish to this sultry summery cocktail. It’s just the thing for sipping poolside—or, if you’re on vacation, at brunch.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) ISLAY-STYLE SCOTCH WHISKY
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED PINEAPPLE JUICE
_ 1/4 OUNCE (7 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
_ 1/4 OUNCE (7 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME JUICE
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) SWEETENED COCONUT CREAM (SWEETENED)
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) ORGEAT
_ 3 DROPS CURRIED BITTERS
_ SPLASH OF CLUB SODA
DIRECTIONS
Fill a Boston shaker three-quarters full with ice. Add all the ingredients except the club soda and the bitters. Shake for about 15 seconds. Strain the mixture over a single hand-cut ice cube in a rocks glass. Add the splash of club soda, and drip the curried bitters over the top of the drink. Serve, wearing a grass skirt.
◁ CHANCES IN THE FOG COCKTAIL
Feel like you’ve been groping your way through the day? We’ve all been there. Reward yourself for making it to quitting time with a Chances in the Fog Cocktail. London-style dry gin and fizzy seltzer water set off my savory, tangy Heirloom Tomato, Pear, and Sage Shrub to great effect.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) LONDON DRY GIN
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) HEIRLOOM TOMATO, PEAR, AND SAGE SHRUB
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) SELTZER WATER
_ 3 DASHES AROMATIC BITTERS (SUCH AS MY COCKTAIL WHISPERER’S RAW HONEY AROMATIC BITTERS)
DIRECTIONS
Fill a cocktail glass three-quarters full with ice. Add the gin and the Heirloom Tomato, Pear, and Sage Shrub. Use a long cocktail spoon to stir the mixture for about 30 strokes. Use your Hawthorne strainer to strain the mixture into a coupe glass. Top with the aromatic bitters (try my Cocktail Whisperer’s Raw Honey Aromatic Bitters).
A CHORUS OF VOICES COCKTAIL
This deliciously twisted take on the gin and tonic calls upon a variety of piquant flavors: a little rum, a dose of my Nectarine, Celery, and Black Pepper Shrubb, and a good dry tonic water—or even plain seltzer. And they make beautiful music together. So what’s the perfect finale to such a chorus? Two types of bitters, including grapefruit bitters, which add an astringent, assertive finish, plus the crunch of a pinch of fleur de sel, not to mention an elegant grapefruit twist in place of the typical (read: ho-hum) lime wheel. The finished product is so memorable that you’ll be through with those boring old G&Ts for good.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) OLD TOM-STYLE GIN
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) RHUM AGRICOLE
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) NECTARINE, CELERY, AND BLACK PEPPER SHRUBB
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) CANE-SUGAR BASED TONIC WATER (OR SELTZER, FOR A DRIER FINISH)
_ 2 DASHES WEST INDIAN ORANGE BITTERS
_ 2 DASHES GRAPEFRUIT BITTERS
_ LARGE CUBES OF HAND-CUT ICE
_ PINCH OF FLEUR DE SEL
_ GRAPEFRUIT ZEST TWIST
DIRECTIONS
Add two cubes of hand-cut ice to a large goblet. Add the gin, the Rhum Agricole, and the Nectarine, Celery, and Black Pepper Shrubb. Top with the tonic water, then the bitters. Finish with the fleur de sel, and garnish with a long grapefruit zest twist—then wait for your guests to demand an encore.
◁ GRILLED PEACH AND THAI BASIL SHRUB
Whenever I find myself with less-than-perfect-looking produce on hand, I head straight to the grill. Grilling is a great way to harness the flavors of slightly overripe fruits and vegetables. It transforms their flavor profiles by bringing out their natural sugars. And grilled produce is lovely when it’s turned into a shrub. Try to let this shrub age for a full month before you use it, since it definitely improves with age. (And as always, I implore you to use fresh ingredients—always. If a recipe calls for produce that’s out of season, replace it with a similar seasonal ingredient, and change the recipe accordingly. Never ever use the canned or frozen variety if you can help it.)
INGREDIENTS
_ 2–3 POUNDS (1–1.5 KG) PEACHES, QUARTERED, THEN GRILLED OVER HARDWOOD CHARCOAL UNTIL LIGHTLY CHARRED (OR ROASTED FOR 30 MINUTES AT 400°F [200°C, OR GAS MARK 6] UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED), THEN COOLED AND CHOPPED
_ 1 CUP (200 G) DEMERARA SUGAR
_ 1–2 PINCHES OF FLEUR DE SEL
_ 1 CUP (235 ML) SHERRY VINEGAR
_ 1 CUP (24 G) THAI BASIL, LEAVES ONLY
DIRECTIONS
Time: 4 weeks. Place the peaches in a nonreactive bowl, then cover with the Demerara sugar and sea salt. Stir well to combine, then cover tightly and place the bowl in the fridge or a cool, dark place, stirring several times daily for about 2 days. Place a sieve over another nonreactive bowl, and then transfer the mixture to the sieve. Use a wooden spoon to press the slightly fermented peach solids and liquids through the sieve. Discard the fruit pulp. Add the vinegar and the Thai basil: stir again, then let the mixture sit for a few hours. Funnel the shrub into sterilized bottles or jars, then store in the fridge for a month, shaking the bottle or jar a couple times daily. (Patience is a necessary ingredient in this shrub!) It’s delicious in my Mendham Cocktail.
◁ MENDHAM COCKTAIL
Some of the sweetest peaches I’ve ever slurped are grown in and around Mendham, a rural New Jersey town, located about an hour north-by-northwest of New York City. Historically, Mendham was the location of the winter encampment for George Washington’s Continental Army—and I’ll bet my wages that those Mendham peaches were just as delicious two and half centuries ago as they are today. This cocktail puts my Grilled Peach and Thai Basil Shrubb in the driver’s seat, alongside a good bourbon like Four Roses and soupcon of Rhum Agricole—its sweetly perfumed flavor profile makes for a haunting, memorable finish. A zap of fizzy water and a few drops of spicy Moroccan-style cocktail bitters—a twenty-first century emendation—and the job’s done. The next step? Get ready to make a second round.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) SMALL-BATCH BOURBON WHISKEY, SUCH AS FOUR ROSES
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) RHUM AGRICOLE
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) GRILLED PEACH AND THAI BASIL SHRUBB
_ SPLASH OF FIZZY WATER
_ MOROCCAN-STYLE BITTERS
_ PINCH OF FLEUR DE SEL
DIRECTIONS
Fill a Collins glass with hand-cut ice. Pour the bourbon, the Rhum Agricole, and the shrub over it. Add the fizzy water, and stir gently with a long cocktail spoon. Dash the Moroccan bitters over the top of the cocktail, followed by the fleur de sel. Fin!
◁ LATE SUMMER FIZZ
This refreshing, rye-based cocktail is just the thing to whet your appetite before a good lunch on a late summer’s day. In addition to rye, it features Pimm’s No. 1 Cup, the citrusy-spicy English liqueur, which is most agreeable when served with fresh juices and Caribbean spices. That’s where allspice dram, a liqueur flavored with allspice berries, comes in: Along with the Pimm’s, it gives the drink a dark-red stain that’s decidedly preppy (it’s the exact color of Nantucket Red trousers). If all this sounds terribly exotic, never fear: Rye whiskey and apple cider, that familiar, time-honored combo, are at the heart of this cocktail. An easy-to-make, uncomplicated tipple, there’s one tried-and-true way to drink the Late Summer Fizz that I wholeheartedly recommend: with two long straws, and a great deal of relish.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) RYE WHISKEY
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) PIMM’S NO.1 CUP
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) NON-ALCOHOLIC APPLE CIDER
_ SPLASH OF CLUB SODA
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) SWEET WHITE ITALIAN VERMOUTH
_ 1/4 OUNCE (7 ML) ALLSPICE DRAM
_ DASH OF LEMON BITTERS
_ PINCH OF SEA SALT
DIRECTIONS
Fill a Boston shaker three-quarters full with ice. Add the rye whiskey, the Pimm’s, and the cider. Shake for 20 seconds. Pour the mixture over a couple hand-cut ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass, and top with a splash of club soda. Float the allspice dram and the Italian vermouth on top of the drink, and then add the dash of lemon bitters. Finish with a pinch of sea salt for a savory kick.
CUCUMBER-BASIL SHRUB
The scent and taste of freshly picked cucumbers straight off the vine is the scent and taste of high summer. When it’s concentrated into a summery shrub like this one, it’s even more delicious. And it goes so well with Thai basil’s fresh bite (I like to use the Thai variety, since it has a bit more spice to it). That’s just about all there is to my Cucumber-Basil Shrub, which is breathtakingly easy to assemble, and which matures very quickly—in only about a week. Use European-style seedless cukes to make this shrub: Slimmer and smoother-skinned, they’re a slightly different beast to the usual garden-variety ones. You could use it in gin-based cocktails, or in cooling, refreshing virgin tipples, like Mr. Rankeillor’s Door.
INGREDIENTS
_ 1 EUROPEAN-STYLE SEEDLESS CUCUMBER, SKIN ON, DICED INTO BRUNOISE (VERY TINY CUBES)
_ 1 SMALL BUNCH FRESH THAI BASIL
_ 1/2 CUP (100 G) DEMERARA SUGAR OR RAW HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP
_ 1 CUP (235 ML) APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
DIRECTIONS
Time: 1 week. Combine the cucumber, basil, and sugar or sugar syrup into a bowl and cover with the cider vinegar. Cover tightly, and let it sit in the fridge or at cellar temperature for about a week. Then, place a strainer over a nonreactive bowl, and transfer the cucumber mixture to the strainer. Use a wooden spoon to press the mixture through the strainer, extracting as much liquid from the vegetable pulp as possible. Discard the pulp, and funnel the liquid into sterilized bottles or jars. Use liberally in craft cocktails or mocktails. (Here’s a handy hint: Ran out of your favorite aftershave? Slap some of the Cucumber-Basil Shrub onto your cheeks. Seriously! It doubles as an eye-opening, alcohol-free face-freshener.)
MR. RANKEILLOR’S DOOR
Faced with a thirst so pernicious that plain water, cocktails, sports drinks, and soft drinks all stand helpless before it? Well, help is indeed at hand, because your palate is about to become acquainted with Mr. Rankeillor’s Door. Named—with good reason—for “a shrewd, ruddy, kindly, consequential man in a well-powdered wig and spectacles” from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped, this mocktail is just what you need to revive your spirits and sharpen your appetite for lunch. And, darn it, it’s just so easy to make. Here, a flavorsome whack of my Cucumber-Basil Shrub gets pepped up with seltzer water, the barest pinch of sea salt, and my homemade bitters—and that’s all there is to it. I drink Mr. Rankeillor’s Doors all year round, but it really is the ticket when summer’s heat is at its highest.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) CUCUMBER-BASIL SHRUB
_ 6 OUNCES (175 ML) COOL SELTZER WATER
_ TINY PINCH OF SEA SALT
_ 2 DASHES COCKTAIL WHISPERER’S RAW HONEY AROMATIC BITTERS
DIRECTIONS
Add the shrub and the seltzer water to a tall Collins glass over a spear of hand-cut ice. Top with the bitters, then sprinkle the sea salt over the top of the drink.
◁ TROPICALISTA SUNRISE COCKTAIL
Most cocktails with the word “tropical” in their names call for rum and only rum—but if it’s a recipe by the Cocktail Whisperer, anything can happen! This sumptuous drink features wheat whiskey, which is very different to whiskey made from one hundred percent corn. It’s softer in the mouth, and the finish goes on and on—and on. It’s very elegant stuff. So treat it right: Make your own grenadine (it’s not hard), and use good dark rum if you can, since it’s such a match for smoky-sweet grilled pineapple juice. (The juice from grilled pineapple has a slightly “charred” taste, which rounds out the necessary acidity in this new American classic.) Go ahead and mix up a second batch, if you like—just don’t hold me responsible for your headache the next morning!
INGREDIENTS
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) GRILLED PINEAPPLE JUICE (SEE here)
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) HOMEMADE GRENADINE SYRUP
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) WHEAT WHISKEY
_ 1/2 OUNCE (15 ML) DARK RUM (TRY TWELVE-YEAR-OLD RUM AGED IN BOURBON OAK CASKS, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. THE DEEP VANILLA-SMOKE FLAVORS IN EACH SIP ARE TOO GOOD TO MISS)
_ 3/4 OUNCE (22 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE, STRAINED
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) FRESHLY SQUEEZED GRAPEFRUIT JUICE, STRAINED
_ PINCH OF SEA SALT
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) CLUB SODA
DIRECTIONS
Add the first six ingredients to a mixing glass with a few chunks of ice. Stir well. Add the pinch of sea salt (don’t skip the salt: It’s an essential ingredient!) and stir again. Add one large cube of hand-cut ice to a rocks glass. Strain into rocks glasses, top with the club soda, and then garnish each glass with a spear of grilled pineapple and a lemon zest twist, squeezing it gently to release its fragrant oils. Serves two thirsty heads.
◁ ROOT AND RYE
The original Rock and Rye cocktail, a mixture of rye whiskey, simple syrup, and citrus fruits, was a nineteenth- and twentieth-century classic. The simple concoction was believed to be a cure for chest congestion, stubborn coughs, and even the common cold. This delicious spin on the Rock and Rye calls for a special ingredient that tips its hat to the early era of medicinal folk healers. It’s called root tea, but it’s not the kind of tea you’d drink alongside your breakfast bagel. Based on a recipe that’s said to have been handed down by Native Americans to pre-colonial settlers, root tea liqueur is a spirit that’s been developed to imitate the original flavors and healing techniques of the early apothecary age, using natural materials such as birch bark, sassafras, anise, and cloves. Thanks to root tea liqueur, the Root and Rye gently becalms uneasy bellies, and is especially refreshing on hot summer days.
INGREDIENTS
_ 1 OUNCE (25 ML) ORGANIC ROOT TEA LIQUEUR
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) RYE WHISKEY
_ 1 ROCK CANDY SWIZZLE STICK
_ 6 OUNCES (175 ML) SARSAPARILLA OR BIRCH BEER
DIRECTIONS
Pack a tall Collins glass with ice. Add the root tea liqueur and the rye whiskey, followed by the sarsaparilla or birch beer. Mix well with the rock candy swizzle stick, sip slowly, and let the Root and Rye settle down that sour stomach.
◁ WHERE’S THE DOG STAR?
This simple cocktail features three of my favorite ingredients: white whiskey, organic root tea liqueur, and frozen hot chocolate. With its crunchy, slushy texture, Where’s the Dog Star? is more than a mere tipple: It’s also a healing tonic of the highest order. That’s because root tea liqueur is a combination of hand-selected medicinal spices and extracts of healing roots, suspended and preserved in alcohol. Add a healthy dose of white whiskey to the mix, plus some homemade frozen hot chocolate, and you’ve got a fortifying cocktail that’ll keep your spirits up despite blustery weather and howling gales. Try it on its own on a stormy afternoon; as a dessert (in all weathers); or, best of all, as a nightcap. It’s a fabulous restorative for both body and soul.
INGREDIENTS
_ 2 OUNCES (60 ML) WHITE WHISKEY
_ 1 OUNCE (30 ML) ORGANIC ROOT TEA LIQUEUR
_ 3 OUNCES (90 ML) BEST HOT CHOCOLATE, FROZEN AND CRUSHED INTO PEBBLES
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the Best Hot Chocolate, and let it cool a little. Pour into an ice-cube tray, and freeze 8 hours or overnight. Pop the hot chocolate ice cubes into a blender and crush, or place them into a Lewis bag—a canvas bag especially made for crushing ice—and crush by hand by banging them with a wooden mallet. (It’s actually a lot of fun!) Spoon the crushed, frozen hot chocolate into a parfait glass, and then add the white whiskey and the root tea liqueur. Mix gently. Serve with both a straw and a long-handled spoon.