A Romantic Gesture

With Valentine’s Day approaching, it’s natural to reflect on what constitutes a romantic gesture. For me, a romantic gesture is all in the thought, effort or passion put into making your loved one feel your affection. This is true any time of year and applies to other loved ones in my life, like family and friends. A carefully crafted cocktail or a beautifully presented dessert can truly create a whole experience for someone. For this recipe, I partnered with local Indian sweet-maker Simply Mithai to create a cocktail and dessert pairing to share with the special person or people in your lives.

My inspiration started with chocolate, as Ambreen of Simply Mithai crafts gorgeous hand-painted filled chocolates. I’ve had the most success getting a rich chocolate flavor from cacao nibs, especially after toasting them to release more flavor and aroma. Cacao nibs are just pieces of cacao beans that have been dried, fermented and crushed. They don’t inherently contain any sugar and are packed with fiber, protein and antioxidants.

I love using them for chocolate flavor and a satisfying crunch in baking, but they’re also fantastic for syrups and infusing spirits. In this case, I roasted them in the the oven, then simmered them with water and raw cane sugar to create a deliciously rich syrup. Rather than discarding the used cacao nibs, I threw them into a batch of healthy muffins to enjoy over the work week.

A recipe that starts with chocolate can go many ways, but I really wanted to maintain a fresh, not overly sweet flavor profile. To do so, I chose one of my favorite fruits of the season, Cara Cara oranges, as my next ingredient. If you haven’t already has this epiphany, not all oranges are created equal. They offer a surprising range of colors and flavors and get a lot more interesting than your typical navel orange. Cara Cara oranges are a reddish-pink on the inside and are sweeter and less acidic, with some notes of red berries. Fresh Cara Cara juice paired wonderfully with the cacao nib syrup, adding some tang, freshness and delicate fruitiness.

I wanted a spirit that would play nicely with the chocolate and orange flavors rather than overpowering them, and jumped on my friend Lindsay’s idea to use white whiskey. White whiskey can range in flavor depending on the grain but is typically sweeter, less oaky and has more of a bite. Long Shot White Whiskey by Union Horse Distilling was a fun one to incorporate as it tastes a bit like a smoother unaged tequila and mixes well while retaining its character.

I finished the cocktail with a bar spoon of rose water for a touch of floral flavor and served it in an elegant coupe glass garnished with a Simply Mithai chocolate. If you choose to use a chocolate as a garnish, be sure to first heat your cocktail pick in some hot water so it can pierce the chocolate without breaking it (a shout-out to my crafty husband for having a steady hand to pull this off).

1BA_2321.jpg

The resulting cocktail is a vibrant orange color and starts with tang, fruit and a hint of rose on the palate, finishing with the satisfying creaminess of chocolate.

A Romantic Gesture

  • 1.5 oz white whiskey

  • 1.5 oz fresh Cara Cara orange juice

  • 0.75 oz toasted cacao nib syrup*

  • 1 bar spoon rose water

To make cocktail, add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until chilled and slightly foamy. Double strain into a coupe glass (single strain if you prefer pulp) and garnish with a chocolate. Present to your loved one as a thoughtful, romantic gesture.

*To make syrup, roast 0.5 cup of cacao nibs in the oven at 400 ºF for about 5 minutes, or until aromatic. Remove cacao nibs from oven and add to a small saucepan with 1.5 cups of water and 0.25 cup of raw cane surgar. Simmer for 15 minutes, then strain and allow to cool. Store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and be sure to shake before using as it will separate due to the natural oils.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography, Lindsay for lending me the lovely Pottery Barn Monique Lhuillier coupes and arrow cocktail picks and Simpy Mithai for creating such beautiful chocolates and orange rose cake for the occasion!













Persimmon Boulevardier

You may not have tried the classic Boulevardier cocktail, but I'm betting you've been exposed to its cousin of sorts, the Negroni. Both are very booze-forward (aka entirely booze) with a hint of citrus, a lot of depth, and an overall bitter finish. The difference between the two is the base spirit - the Boulevardier features bourbon or rye whiskey while the Negroni is built on a foundation of gin.

I had never tried making the Boulevardier but thought that the richer flavor of whiskey could better balance the bitterness of the aperitif component and therefore wanted to explore further. Though the traditional recipe calls for Campari, I prefer using ingredients with all-natural color and flavors and thus chose to incorporate a new brand local to Chicago - Apologue Liqueurs.

With one of the founders of the company coming from an accomplished industry background at The Violet Hour and Letherbee Distillers, I figured Apologue would offer a quality product. I certainly wasn't disappointed. Robby and Jordan were able to create an offering of three unique and dynamic natural liqueurs crafted from predominantly local ingredients. I tend to always favor well-established French brands for liqueurs, but Apologue has really shaken things up by bringing a fresh perspective to the market, and I'm thrilled to see their products being incorporated at bars throughout Chicago.

For this drink, I used their take on Campari - Persimmon Bittersweet Liqueur. The liqueur is pleasantly sweet, with a burst of warm spice and a finish of smooth fruity bitterness. I don't typically enjoy simply sipping an aperitif but this liqueur is truly an exception.

While I wanted to combine the persimmon liqueur with whiskey, I didn't want all of the more subtle notes in the liqueur to be overshadowed. I therefore chose to use a white rye from KOVAL, a sweeter and almost vegetal counterpart to the oak-aged variety. As prescribed, I finished the drink with a touch of sweet red vermouth but decided to use slightly less than the traditional Boulevardier recipe calls for. Though I enjoy vermouth, I wanted it to bring the other two ingredients together rather than compete with either of them. The resulting cocktail is strong yet bright, palatably bitter, and perfect for warding off the winter chill. 

The Persimmon Boulevardier

  • 1.5 oz white rye whiskey
  • 1 oz Apologue Persimmon Liqueur
  • 0.75 sweet red vermouth (I used Noilly Prat)

Stir all ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a dehydrated persimmon slice or an orange twist and enjoy while wrapped in a blanket cocoon

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and to Gather Vintage Tablescapes for the beautiful vintage glasses.

Faraway Plains

After first setting eyes on a Smoking Gun at Apogee Lounge, one of the most imaginative bars in Chicago, I knew I'd eventually need to add one to my arsenal of mixology toys. Quite conveniently, the maker Breville reached out and offered to provide me with one in exchange for participating in a virtual holiday "mix-off" along with 9 other influential bartenders and mixologists. Getting the opportunity to play with a new medium made me want to take my cocktail creation in a completely different direction from anything I'd done before.

I selected Japanese whiskey and sherry to form the backbone of my cocktail. Both are ingredients that are praised in modern cocktails yet I had only tried them when going out for drinks. I quickly found that Japanese whiskeys come in quite a range of prices and flavor notes but Kikori Whiskey seemed like a particularly intriguing option to mix with. Made entirely from rice and aged in sherry casks, Kikori feels like a mash-up of the best attributes of saké and more traditional whiskey. It's a wonderfully unique addition to the world of whiskey and features a floral aroma with a caramel smooth finish. 

I also learned that sherries come in many varieties, each of which boast a unique flavor profile. Sherry is defined as Spanish fortified wine crafted in the region surrounding the city of Jerez de la Frontera (the word "sherry" stems from "Jerez"). Within that category, the wines vary from very dry to sweetened and have undergone different degrees of aging and oxidization. I chose the Manzanilla variety which falls on the drier end of the spectrum and was named with the Spanish word for chamomile tea due to flavor similarities. 

I played up the floral notes in the whiskey and manzanilla sherry with fragrant fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice and a wildflower honey syrup. The honey syrup balanced the dryness of the sherry, and the Meyer lemon juice tied the other ingredients together with a touch of pleasant acidity. 

The coolest thing about using the Smoking Gun in creating a cocktail is that you can fill it with a number of different wood chips, dried herbs or dehydrated fruit. This allows you to enhance the drink's flavors by engaging the sense of smell and truly takes the cocktail to the next level. I used applewood chips and dried chamomile flowers to smoke this drink. The applewood chips created a sweeter, fruity smoke and were a perfect match for the floral sweetness of chamomile. As a sidenote, I highly recommend getting dried chamomile flowers in bulk instead of buying it in teabag form - it's cheaper, more flavorful and lovely for garnishing!

The resulting cocktail is a bouquet of flavors unlike any I've enjoyed before - it starts out with a bit of floral dryness, transitions to the creamy smoothness of the honey and whiskey and finishes with a touch of sweet smoke.

Faraway Plains

  • 2 oz Kikori Japanese Rice Whiskey
  • 0.5 oz Manzanilla Sherry
  • 0.5 oz wildflower honey syrup*
  • 0.25 oz fresh Meyer lemon juice
  • Dried chamomile and applewood chips, for smoke
  • Fresh chamomile flowers, for garnish

Add first four ingredients to a mixing glass over ice and stir until chilled. Cover mixing glass with a julep strainer so only the spout is exposed. Insert the tube of the smoke gun through the mixing glass spout. Place a light covering of applewood chips and dried chamomile in the burn chamber of the smoke gun, ignite, and use the higher fan setting to fill the mixing glass with smoke. Once filled, remove the smoke gun tube from the mixing glass, change the orientation of the julep strainer so the handle covers the spout and allow for the cocktail to infuse with smoke for several minutes. Give the mixing glass a swirl and strain the contents into a Japanese tea cup or punch glass. Garnish with fresh chamomile flowers. 

* To make wildflower honey syrup, add 1:1 parts wildflower honey and almost boiling water to a leak-proof glass jar and shake until honey is dissolved. Open jar to allow syrup to cool and store excess in the fridge for up to 1 month. 

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography and Breville for the Smoking Gun.

Turmeric Ginger Milk Punch

A month ago, I was approached with a project to design two cocktails for the anniversary party of a local clothing and accessory boutique and the launch of a related bridal boutique - Milk Handmade and Honey Bridal. This particular cocktail was my solution for the milk-themed half of the event, and I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it turned out. I don't typically mix with dairy to keep my drinks a little lighter, but dairy can be so effective at giving cocktails a silky smoothness and balancing the bite of most spirits. 

Earlier this year, I discovered turmeric for natural health purposes and found that it is often enjoyed with milk and several other spices for an immune system boost, cold relief, and a slew of other benefits. Conveniently, I also found turmeric to be delicious. It can be overwhelming in large quantities but wonderful if used in a balanced way, sweetened with some honey, and paired with ginger. Turmeric root powder is typically easier to find than the actual root, though the root can yield a more vibrant flavor if you're up for the extra effort. If you go the powder route, I highly recommend saving some money by stocking up bulk.

I chose to add turmeric to the punch via a simple syrup made with turmeric powder and added a bit more spice and sweetness with KOVAL's Ginger Liqueur. For the spirit, I selected KOVAL Oat Whiskey for its amazingly smooth, almost creamy finish. The natural sweetness and mouthfeel of the the Oat Whiskey make it my go-to for more decadent dessert drinks. 

For the milk, I chose an organic 2%. Personally, I find skim to be rather flavorless and whole milk to be too heavy, so 2% was a great balance for the little bit of fat content and flavor to round out the drink. If you can, try to use organic as pesticides are easily transferred through the fat content of dairy. If you prefer to go dairy-free, a blend of full fat coconut milk and almond or cashew milk should make an effective and tasty substitution. 

This drink can easily be presented individually, or scaled up as a punch. The only component that takes a bit of effort is the turmeric syrup but that goes quite quickly when using powder. I added some candied ginger cubes for garnish for an extra spicy treat and some more visual interest. The resulting drink is a beautifully colored, lightly spiced boozy milkshake that is actually somewhat good for you! 

Turmeric Ginger Milk Punch

  • 2 oz Oat Whiskey
  • 0.5 oz Ginger Liqueur
  • 0.5 oz turmeric syrup*
  • 2 oz 2% milk
  • Candied ginger, for garnish

Stir first four ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a tall glass over ice. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger on a cocktail spear. If making in bulk, prepare in a punch bowl or pitcher with chilled ingredients and serve with ice. Enjoy to cool down and give your body a boost on a hot summer day.

*To make turmeric syrup, add 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar to a small saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 tbsp turmeric powder and stir until dissolved. Allow to cool and store excess in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Some separation will occur - just shake up the syrup before use.

Thanks to Belen Aquino for the stunning cocktail photography. You can find the West Elm items from this shoot, here, here, and here. Cocktail picks are by Viski.