Monthly Archives

August 2019

This Passion Fruit Mead is Like Summer in a Glass

By | Mixology News

Black Heath Meadery bottles, featured image

The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley is inspired by mead makers like Black Heath Meadery, who have incorporated the delicious purées in their mead.

Something as small as a honeybee can inspire big ideas. For Richmond, Virginia mead-maker Bill Cavender, the honeybee’s role in one of the world’s oldest fermented beverages inspired him to start the city’s first meadery.

Black Heath Meadery opened in early 2015 for production, tours and tastings. For Cavender, it’s the culmination of years spent home brewing, farming and beekeeping. Since living next door to a beekeeper as a child, he says he’s always been intrigued by honeybees and learned all he could about their intricate social structure, not to mention the many ways honey can be used.

Black Heath Meadery bottles

Black Heath Meadery

Photo Courtesy of Black Heath Meadery/Facebook

Cavender says The Perfect Purée plays a big role in his formula. He is committed to sourcing most of his ingredients from Virginia—like honey, cider, ginger and berries—but needs more exotic fruits to diversify his flavor profile. He says during his research and development phase, he experimented with a number of purées and concentrates and found Perfect Purée’s products had the best flavor and color. So far, Cavender has used Perfect Purée’s Passion Fruit and Pomegranate concentrates for seasonal releases.

“Our goal was to reintroduce people to this amazing beverage by supporting local beekeepers and farmers in Virginia and beyond [and] while we are fortunate to have abundant fresh fruits in Virginia, there are some flavors that we just can’t do without. The aroma and vibrant, tart flavor of passion fruit is a natural component for a summer mead. Pomegranate is another flavor that just bursts out of the glass and catches attention with its lovely color.”
– Bill Cavender, Black Heath Meadery

Traditional meads can be anywhere on the flavor spectrum from bone dry, to bottlings that can be dense, sweet and cloying. Black Heath’s meads fall somewhere in the middle with a

semi-sweet taste and 1.5 percent residual sugar. Building on the traditional mead base of honey, water and yeast, Cavender adds fruits and spices to the secondary fermentation, a process that highlights the full fruit flavors while allowing the honey to play a role in the overall flavor profile.

“In the case of our passion fruit mead, the tart citrus flavors of the fruit intermingle with the honey for an amazing flavor,” Cavender says.

Named Passiflora, the passion fruit mead is a perfect drink for Virginia’s hot, humid summer weather and pairs well with fruit, cheese, or meat. Cavender says fruit meads in general also tend to complement spicy food—think Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Ethiopian and Mexican—by tempering the heat with honey flavor. Find your favorite flavors with The Perfect Purée’s complimentary sample program.

The post This Passion Fruit Mead is Like Summer in a Glass appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Level One Cocktail Bar & Lounge Opens at Borgata Hotel & Casino

By | Mixology News

Level One Cocktail Bar & Lounge, featured

One of America’s favorite gambling cities now has an exciting new cocktail bar.

Level One Cocktail Bar & Lounge just joined the nightlife roster at Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. An intimate venue for high-end gaming, curated entertainment and innovative cocktails, Level One showcases a one-of-a-kind drink menu by MGM Resorts’ master mixologist Craig Schoettler, making it the place to see and be seen before and after a night out in Atlantic City. Schoettler has made a significant name for himself in Las Vegas, reimagining the cocktail programs at many of the city’s most-successful destinations, as well as the cocktail program at Borgata.

Borgata Hotel Casino Spa

Borgata Hotel Casino Spa

Photo by Borgata Hotel Casino Spa

Connected to Moneyline Bar & Book through an escalated corridor, Level One’s design features a pop of peacock greens, copper and cork-inspired wallcoverings. Featuring glass link chandeliers above four blackjack tables, the 3,600-square-foot venue offers customizable seating with lounge chairs, sofas and ottomans for private groups. Just steps away from Premier Nightclub, Level One reignites Borgata’s nightlife brand with a space for experiential cocktail programming and table service packages with live music and DJ entertainment scheduled throughout the week. On game nights, the lounge offers guests a more exclusive viewing experience to the nearby Moneyline, with the added ability to play blackjack as they take in the event.

No Judging

No Judging

In addition, Borgata had the idea to purchase an awesome piece of memorabilia to complement Level One’s sports influence. After weeks of research, they found a Babe Ruth check which has a GEM score of 10. It is considered very rare because it was actually written out by Babe himself and not his secretary. The ink is still bold and fluid. The check is now for sale at Level One Cocktail Bar & Lounge for a cool $40,000.

Level One Cocktails

Level One Cocktails

When a guest buys this one-of-a-kind item, it will be brought out on a vintage Victrola while “Ain’t She Sweet” by Bernie & His Orchestra plays. To complete the experience, it will be paired with a long pour of the 1940 Macallan Fine & Rare, as scotch was widely reported as Babe’s favorite drink. Both the check and the Victrola will be the purchaser’s to keep.

The post Level One Cocktail Bar & Lounge Opens at Borgata Hotel & Casino appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Ask a Bartender: How To Start Your Own Cocktail Company

By | Mixology News

Tom Dufek, featured image

Canned and bottled cocktails are having a moment.

Instead of reaching for a beer, spirit lovers can now grab a pack of their favorite mixed drinks to go. One of our favorite brands of the moment is Plain Spoke Cocktails, which was launched by pro bartender Tom Dufek. Dufek has worked in the industry for more than a decade and helped lead the cocktail programs at Lucille and Merchant in Madison, Wisconsin, before he left to start his own cocktail company. In our latest piece in Chilled’s Ask a Bartender series, we chatted with Dufek to learn more about why he started Plain Spoke and some of the struggles and wins he experienced along the way.

Plain Spoke Cocktails, group enjoying

Plain Spoke Cocktails

How long were you bartending and developing cocktail programs before launching Plain Spoke?

I’d been behind the bar in one form or another for approximately 11 years. But I’ve worked on and off in restaurants for most of my life—it’s in my family. My brother works for Miller in the quality department, my other brother is the cocktail specialist for a liquor distributor, and my sister is the GM of Merchant. Sweet vermouth basically runs through our veins.

What made you want to start your own cocktail company?

A decided lack of accessibility. If I wanted great cocktails, I either had to go to a fancy cocktail bar or make them myself. Both of which are fine. But there are times when you just want to pop open a can of something high-quality without the effort of juicing limes or getting fancy to sit at a bar, then flag down the bartender and wait 10 minutes for a drink. Our goal is to make great cocktails accessible wherever life takes you—the lakes of the Midwest, your cabin up north, or on your couch binging the latest and greatest on Netflix.

Plain Spoke Cocktails to Go, trunk with cans and puppy

Plain Spoke Cocktails to Go

What was the most difficult part of research and development that you came across?

Licensing! We are a distillery that uses brewing equipment and techniques from wine and soda industries, so the blending of all the different techniques and processes was a little arduous. Also, sourcing cans as a small producer and not being one of the massive beverage producers has proven to be tricky. We love our little 200ml cans, but the whole market was built for 12- and 16-ounce cans, so getting someone to ship us a couple pallets of 200ml cans to get started was not an option. We likely would have launched a month or two sooner, but got hit with some lead time issues.

How is creating mass-produced cocktails different from mixing a one-off behind the bar?

We make what our distributors need for a month at a time, and not a drop more. This keeps our stock fresh instead of letting it sit for months. So while I wouldn’t call us mass-produced, the equipment and process we use for scale is definitely different than your standard cocktail shaker. We’ve had to dial in everything at the most minute level, so it takes a lot more precision. If you mess something up with a one-off cocktail, you can correct it on the spot, but fixing a 400-gallon batch of Moscow Mules is next to impossible. We live and die by dialing in those issues before everything goes in the mixing tank. So the difference really comes down to keeping our process very tight and exact every single time for consistency.

Plain Spoke Mojito, girl in jean shorts

Plain Spoke Mojito

Can you talk about some of the cocktails in Plain Spoke’s line and the inspiration behind them?

We wanted to start with classic cocktails that people are familiar with, so we have the Moscow Mule, Bourbon Smash, and Mojito. We let our cocktails do the talking with simple, high-quality ingredients that people can pronounce without any preservatives or artificial flavors. We use real lemon and lime juice, not from concentrate, and no citric acids or lime extract. We do this because we wanted to mimic the same high-quality experience you would get at the fancy cocktail bar. If you go to a nice place, I can assure you they aren’t using sodium benzoate. They are using real ingredients, so that is what we do. Our newest cocktail, the Mojito, is a personal favorite of mine. I’m a rum guy, so there’s a bit of self-interest there, but it’s also a super-refreshing cocktail to enjoy in the late summer days. For now, we’re aiming for each cocktail to feature a different spirit to give people options based on their favorites.

Tom Dufek

Tom Dufek

What’s next for the brand?

So much! We are looking at opening a tasting room in Madison so people can come and interact with our brand. We are eyeing distribution in five to seven new markets in the very near future, so we can put our cocktails in more hands of the people asking for them. Also, now that we’ve started to establish our core cocktails, we want to start doing more outlandish and fun seasonal cocktails, as well as work with other beverage producers like kombuchas, breweries, and distilleries to do one-off collaborations.

The post Ask a Bartender: How To Start Your Own Cocktail Company appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

6 Wines by the Glass to Serve at an Indian Restaurant

By | Mixology News

6 Wines by the Glass to Serve at an Indian Restaurant, bottle on white, featured image

A single glass of wine is typically priced at the wholesale cost of the entire bottle.

That means that a bottle that costs $10 wholesale equates to a $10 glass of wine at your bar or restaurant. Your markup depends on how many glasses you pour from the bottle. Our job at Chilled is to suggest wines for your wine-by-the-glass bar program. Each online issue will highlight a handful of wines that meet our criteria of quality and affordability. The wines chosen will please the palate on their own or when served with food. This week, we’re discussing the best wines by the glass to offer at an Indian restaurant.

Few cuisines pair with wine as well as Indian food. Known for its spices and rich flavors, Indian cuisine attracts many styles of wine because they bring a balance and vigor to the dishes. From tandoori chicken to fiery vindaloo, fresh, crisp, younger wines with lots of acidity will pair well with Indian cuisine. The restaurant’s goal should be to find wines that are a bit lighter with low alcohol, have a drop of sweetness, and lack tannins. We love Pinot Gris with spiced lamb dishes, and spicy seafood preparations love Riesling. Game dishes, including duck, scream for Gewürztraminer. Vindaloo and masalas pair well with the Gamay varietal. Lambrusco and sparkling rosé balance the flavors of butter chicken and korma, which employ the use of heavy cream in their luscious sauces.

To summarize, lighter dishes should be paired with crisp and dry wines. Conversely, the spicier the dish, the more intense the wine should be. White wine, with a tinge of residual sugar, stands up to the heat. Avoid tannins and oak when searching for a wine to pair with spicy food. Simple wines work best because they complement the flavors, but still let the Indian spices shine. While we invite you to experiment with what may work best at your establishment, here are six of our favorite wines by the glass to pair with Indian food.

François Schmitt Bollenberg Gewurztraminer 2016

Established in 1697, the Schmitt family have been active wine growers through numerous generations. Just the right amount of sweetness and crispness makes this Gewürztraminer a perfect match for those fiery, meaty dishes on the menu.

Suggested glass price: $12

François Schmitt Bollenberg Gewurztraminer 2016, bottle on white

François Schmitt Bollenberg Gewurztraminer 2016


Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewürztraminer 2017

Dr. Konstantin Frank, located in New York’s Finger Lakes region, is the premier Gewürztraminer producer in America. Aromatic, delicate, and full of fruit, this mineral-driven Gewürztraminer has a soft spot for sweetness, which enhances Indian food. Dr. Frank’s wine is a natural match for duck, game, and dishes of all heat levels.

Suggested glass price: $11

Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewürztraminer 2017, bottle on white

Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewürztraminer 2017


Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling 2017

This is a perfect Semi-Dry Riesling for dishes with curry powder because it’s acidic, tropical, and sweet all at the same time. The acidity balances the residual sugar, creating a well-balanced wine that screams for spicy seafood and fiery sauces.

Suggested glass price: $10

Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling 2017, bottle on white

Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling 2017


Seven Daughters Moscato 2018

Chalky minerals with a medium sparkly sweetness and a mild crispness make this unusual Moscato desirable for Indian bites. It’s a perfect wine to be sipped as an aperitif with snacks or Indian desserts, especially gulab jamun, sandesh, modak, and payasam. Suggest this wine to your patrons at the end of their meal.

Suggested glass price: $8

Seven Daughters Moscato 2018, bottle on white

Seven Daughters Moscato 2018


Lambrusco Dell’emilia Bianco NV

This Lambrusco from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is a palate pleaser. Effervescent rather than bubbly with lots of sweetness, this crispy, fruit-driven white Lambrusco is a perfect match for classic butter chicken and korma dishes with cream-based sauces. Seafood and shellfish both love this wine.

Suggested glass price: $8

Lambrusco Dell’emilia Bianco NV, bottle on white

Lambrusco Dell’emilia Bianco NV


Graham Beck Bliss Demi Sec NV

This South African sparkling wine is made in the traditional méthode champenoise style and is a blend of 61 percent Pinot Noir and 39 percent Chardonnay. The slight sweetness, with butterscotch and praline notes, balances out the heat and spices associated with Indian food. The mild acidity keeps the palate clean while preparing you for the next bite. This sparkling wine favors rich fish, like salmon and tuna, as well as game, especially venison.

Suggested glass price: $10

Graham Beck Bliss Demi Sec NV. bottle on white

Graham Beck Bliss Demi Sec NV

The post 6 Wines by the Glass to Serve at an Indian Restaurant appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

The Best New Spirit Releases From July 2019

By | Mixology News

The Best New Spirit Releases From July 2019, bottles on white, featured image

This month saw no shortage of delicious spirit releases, some of which are limited-edition bottlings that you need to get your hands on ASAP.

From a couple of aquavits made in Brooklyn, New York to a beautiful Irish rose gin, these new spirits should be on your radar right now.

Bearcat Infused Bourbon ($35)

There isn’t a lot of high-quality infused whiskey on the market, but all that has changed with the introduction of Bearcat Infused Bourbon. The brand launched with two flavorful expressions: Espresso & Aromatic Bitters, which has a rich, roasted coffee taste, and Orange Peel & Spice with notes of juicy citrus, light cinnamon and anise. Bearcat Infused Bourbons are perfect for people who are new to the spirit or who want to experiment with different flavors in their favorite classic cocktails.

Bearcat Infused Bourbon , espresso and orange bottles on white

Bearcat Infused Bourbon


Don Q Double Aged Sherry Cask Finish Rum ($50)

This beautiful expression is one of the most vibrant rums we’ve tasted this year, and it makes sense, considering the care that’s gone into crafting the spirit. Don Q Double Aged Sherry Cask Finish starts with a blend of five- to eight-year-old rums, hand selected by Master Blender Jaiker Soto, that were aged in American white oak barrels. This blend is then aged for a year in casks that once held Spanish Oloroso sherry. The result is a honeyed rum with deep notes of charred wood, raisins and rich dark chocolate that’s beautiful when sipped neat.

Don Q Double Aged Sherry Cask Finish Rum, bottle on white

Don Q Double Aged Sherry Cask Finish Rum


Corazón Tequila Expresiones del Corazón ($80)

Corazón Tequila just released its 2019 limited edition line of Expresiones del Corazón, and they are absolute must-buys if you see them on the shelf. The Buffalo Trace Distillery Old 22 Añejo was aged for at least 22 months in ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels that previously held whiskey for at least 22 years, and it boasts bold notes of caramel, plums, almonds and lightly roasted coffee. Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Añejo was aged for 19 months in ex-Thomas H. Handy rye barrels, resulting in a grassy spirit with a mellow vegetal flavor and light honeyed notes on the palate. Both expressions are brilliant when sipped neat or served in a Tequila Old Fashioned.

Corazón Tequila Expresiones del Corazón, bottles on white

Corazón Tequila Expresiones del Corazón


Copper & Kings Way Up West ($65)

It seems that Copper & Kings is always releasing something new and delicious, and the Louisville, Kentucky-based distillery has done it again with their latest bottling, Way Up West. This luxurious, five-year-old brandy—a blend of Muscat, Chenin Blanc and French Colombard grapes—is finished for 30 months in ex-Kentucky bourbon barrels, followed by another 30 months in award-winning American single malt whiskey barrels. The resulting liquid is smooth, despite it’s 54 percent ABV, with light notes of saline and caramel apple. Drink this neat or on the rocks to really let the liquid shine.

Copper & Kings Way Up West

Copper & Kings Way Up West


Glendalough Rose Gin ($33)

The new Glendalough Rose Gin isn’t like the other pink gins on the market. This expression is the real deal, distilled with three different varieties of rose—including Wild Rose from the Wicklow mountains, fragrant Heritage Roses and the ancient Damask Rose—along with a variety of other fruits, flowers and spices. Because the petals are so delicate, the Rose Gin is distilled slowly and gently via vapour distillation to protect the flavor. After distillation, the gin is infused with even more roses to give it a deeper pink color and more robust floral flavor.

Glendalough Rose Gin, bottle on white

Glendalough Rose Gin


Svöl Aquavit ($35-$39)

While this Scandanavian spirit isn’t quite popular yet in the United States, we think that Brooklyn-made Svöl Aquavit is about to change that. The brand launched with two iterations of the caraway-infused liquor, Danish-Style and Swedish-Style. Svöl Danish-Style Aquavit is citrusy and caraway-forward with botanicals like Angelica Root and cape gooseberry from Peru. The Swedish-Style bottling is dill-forward and bright with botanicals like fennel and lemon peel. The former works beautifully in savory classics like the Bloody Mary and Martini, while we love the latter mixed with soda or tonic in a simple Highball.

Svöl Aquavit Danish-Style and Swedish-Style bottles on white

Svöl Aquavit

The post The Best New Spirit Releases From July 2019 appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Ask A Bartender: Is Bartending School Worth It?

By | Mixology News

mixologist learning how to mix a proper cocktail

We chatted with bartender Joe Luparello to find out from a pro, is bartending school actually worth it?

Check out what he has to say in the latest piece in Chilled’s Ask a Bartender series.

mixologist learning how to mix a proper cocktail, featured image

Mixologist Learning How to Mix

Photo by Vasyl Syniuk/Shutterstock

Before entering the realm of bartending and mixology, my attention was drawn to it primarily because of its promising monetary opportunities. To be blunt, my initial ignorant perspective of what it takes to serve drinks was rather dull and unexciting. On the surface, it seemed simple: I presumed that to become a bartender, I needed to know a certain drink’s ingredients and how to prepare it properly. Testing the validity of my preconceived thoughts, I registered for an eight-day course at 1-800-BARTEND in Selden, New York. Fully aware of my lack of knowledge in this field, anxiety was piling up leading to the first class. After meeting the instructor, Jerry Costanzo, and hearing his introduction to the course, I was immediately relieved. It was made apparent that this was no intense Hell’s Kitchen for amateur bartenders, but instead a well-experienced source that would provide the necessary knowledge and multiple chances to physically practice the craft of bartending. My choice of the word “craft” is indicative of the newfound respect and interest for the field that I adopted thanks to this course.

Opposed to my original, single-dimensional understanding of tending bar, a craft is something that is constantly worked on from various angles in order to strive toward mastery. I learned that making drinks is only a small fraction of what it takes to truly become a formidable bartender. Becoming a bartender is like putting together a puzzle that requires every piece intact to find success. Aside from being able to make drinks, it’s also necessary to have finely tuned social skills, a strong work ethic and good on-the-job hygiene. Finally, always make sure you’re serving responsibly. It’s now evident that becoming a bartender will not only fill my pocket with cash, but can also lead me to experience wonderful new places and people while ultimately sharpening myself as a person.

The post Ask A Bartender: Is Bartending School Worth It? appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

13 Cucumber Cocktails to Cool You Down This Summer

By | Mixology News

Red Cactus, cocktail on rocks with cucumber garnish, featured image

We’ve officially hit the height of summer, which means toasting to long, hot days and balmy evenings.

If you need a way to beat the heat this season, nothing will refresh you quite like a cucumber cocktail. The green fruit has natural cooling properties and works well with a variety of spirits, whether you’re a dark rum drinker or prefer a savory vodka cocktail. Here, 13 revitalizing cucumber cocktails to mix at home.

Pepino Hasta la Tambora, cocktail with cucumber garnish, greens background

Pepino Hasta la Tambora

Pepino Hasta la Tambora

Courtesy of Ron Barceló

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Ron Barceló Gran Añejo
  • 1 oz. Lemon or Lime Juice
  • 1 oz. Fresh Cucumber Water
  • .75 oz. Sugar
  • 2 Cucumber Ribbons
  • Mint sprig (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add all liquid ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake vigorously. Line the inside of a rocks glass with cucumber ribbons and strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.


The Green Russian, cocktail with garnish

The Green Russian

The Green Russian

Courtesy of Russian Standard

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Russian Standard Vodka
  • 1 oz. Cucumber Juice
  • 2 oz. Sprig CBD Sparkling Melon Soda
  • .75 oz. Lemon Juice
  • .5 oz. Agave Nectar
  • Cucumber Slice (to Garnish) 

Preparation: Build all liquid ingredients over ice in a highball glass. Gently stir a few times to incorporate. Garnish with a cucumber slice.


Out of Office cocktail, bottle and garnishes

Out of Office

Out of Office

Created by Hendrick’s Gin Ambassador Sebastien Derbomez

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
  • 2 oz. Cucumber Juice
  • 6 1-inch chunks Cantaloupe
  • .75 oz. Ancho Reyes Verde
  • .5 oz. Lime Juice
  • .75 oz. Passion Fruit Syrup*

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a tiki mug. Garnish as desired.

*Passion Fruit Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 1 part Frozen 100% Passion Fruit Pulp (preferably Goya, El Sembrador or La Fé)
  • 1 part Simple Syrup

Preparation: Allow the frozen passion fruit pulp to defrost. Combine with simple syrup in a sealable container and refrigerate until use.


Fired Up Margarita, cocktail with garnish on plate

Fired Up Margarita

Fired Up Margarita

Courtesy of Cleo

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz. Casamigos Blanco
  • .5 oz. Yuzu Liqueur
  • .75 oz. Lime Juice
  • .75 oz. Cucumber Juice
  • .5 oz Agave Nectar
  • Smoked Salt (to Rim)

Preparation: Dip a rocks glass in lime juice, then rim it with smoked salt. Add all liquid ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the prepared glass.


Hot House #4 cocktail with garnish

Hot House #4

Hot House #4

Courtesy of Center Bar

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Diplomatico Rum
  • .5 oz. Velvet Falernum
  • .25 oz. Dry Apple Brandy
  • .25 oz. Simple Syrup
  • .5 oz. Cucumber Juice
  • Cucumber Ribbon (to Garnish)
  • Cracked Black Pepper (to Garnish)

Preparation: Wrap the cucumber ribbon around the inside of a double rocks glass and fill it with crushed ice. Add all liquid ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake and strain into the rocks glass. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper.


Red Cactus, cocktail on rocks with cucumber garnish

Red Cactus

Red Cactus

Courtesy of Brian Bartels of Bar Sardine, Fedora and Fairfax

Ingredients:

  • .75 oz. Aperol
  • .75 oz. Ancho Reyes Verde
  • 3 oz. Fever-Tree Cucumber Tonic
  • Cucumber Slice (to Garnish)
  • Lemon Zest (to Garnish)

Preparation: Pour ingredients over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with lemon zest and a cucumber slice.


Haru #1, cocktail in pint mug, strawberry garnish

Haru #1

Haru #1

Courtesy of Masa Urushido of Katana Kitten

 Ingredients:

  • 1.25 oz. Chamomile-Infused BERTOUX Brandy*
  • .75 oz. White Port
  • .5 oz. Crème de Pêche Liqueur
  • 1 oz. Cucumber Juice
  • .75 oz. Lemon Juice
  • .75 oz. Ginger Syrup
  • Soda Water (to Top)
  • Halved Strawberry (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add all ingredients, save for the garnish, to a shaker tin with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled highball glass over fresh ice. Top with soda and garnish with a halved strawberry.

*Chamomile-Infused BERTOUX Brandy

Ingredients:

  • 5 tbsp. Chamomile Tea
  • 1 bottle Bertoux Brandy

Preparation: In an airtight container, combine both ingredients and let sit at room temperature overnight. Strain through a cheesecloth.


The Gin Game cocktail being garnished by mixologist

The Gin Game

The Gin Game

Courtesy of Salvatore Tafuri of The Terrace and Outdoor Gardens at The Times Square EDITION

Ingredients:

  • 2 oz. Bombay Sapphire Dry Gin
  • .25 oz. Velvet Falernum
  • 1 oz. Cucumber Juice
  • .75 oz. Lemon Juice
  • .75 oz. Honey Syrup*
  • 3 spritzes Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe Mist

Preparation: Add all ingredients, save for the absinthe, to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Spritz with three sprays of absinthe from an atomizer.

*Honey Syrup

Stir 600 grams of honey into 500 ml of water until thoroughly incorporated.


Ketel One Green Mary, cocktail with garnish, bottle, and fresh veg

Ketel One Green Mary

Ketel One Green Mary

Courtesy of Ketel One Vodka

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz. Ketel One Vodka
  • 1.75 oz. Fresh Celery Juice
  • 1.75 oz. Fresh Cucumber Juice
  • .5 oz. fresh Lime Juice
  • 1 pinch each Rock Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Dried Chili Flakes
  • Salted Cucumber Slice (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add liquid ingredients and spices to a Collins glass, and stir to combine. Add ice and garnish with a salted cucumber slice. 


Logos cocktail in mason jar, garnish and straw

Logos

Logos

Courtesy of Amylos Taverna

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 Cucumber Slices
  • .75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
  • .25 oz. Simple Syrup
  • .5 oz. Egg White
  • Fresh Mint Leaves (to Muddle and Garnish)
  • 1.5 oz. Beefeater Gin
  • 1.5 oz. Mastic Greek Liqueur
  • Ginger Beer (to Top)

Preparation: In a shaker tin, add a few mint leaves and the simple syrup and gently muddle to release the aromas. Add ice and the rest of the liquid ingredients, and shake. Double strain into a Mason jar, add the cucumber slices and top with ginger beer. Add crushed ice to the brim of the glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.


Cucumber Fresca cocktail, brick wall

Cucumber Fresca

Cucumber Fresca

Courtesy of ViewHouse

Ingredients:

  • 1.25 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
  • 3 Cucumber Slices
  • .5 oz. Water
  • .25 oz. Lime Juice
  • .75 oz. Lemon-Lime Soda

Preparation: Muddle the cucumber slices in the bottom of a rocks glass. Add the gin. water and lime juice, and stir. Top with the lemon-lime soda.


BAAR BAAR Sour green cocktail with edible flower

BAAR BAAR Sour

BAAR BAAR Sour

Courtesy of Chetan Gangan of BAAR BAAR

Ingredients:

  • .75 oz. Lime Juice
  • .75 oz. Rose-Infused Honey*
  • 3 oz. Cucumber and Kale Juice
  • 2 oz. Gin
  • 1 oz. Egg White
  • Edible Flower (to Garnish)

Preparation: Add all the liquid ingredients to a shaker tin, and dry shake without ice. Add ice and shake again. Strain over a block of ice and garnish with an edible flower.

*Rose-Infused Honey

Ingredients: 

  • 200 ml. Honey
  • 40 grams Dry Rose Petals

Preparation: Add the petals and honey to a saucepan, and cook for 20 minutes on low heat. Transfer to a jar after letting the combination cool. Strain rose petals after one day.


Dionysus Revival cocktail with salt garnish, marble table

Dionysus Revival

Dionysus Revival

Courtesy of Oliver Sovol of Saba

  • 1.5 oz. Silver Tequila
  • .5 oz. Ancho Reyes
  • .5 oz. Lime Juice
  • .75 oz. Cucumber Maceration*
  • 3 dashes Black Pepper Bitters
  • Aleppo Pepper Salt Mix** (to Rim)

Preparation: Rim a double Old Fashioned glass with the Aleppo Pepper Salt Mix. Combine all liquid ingredients into a shaking tin with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice in the salt and pepper-rimmed glass.

*Cucumber Maceration

Combine 2 parts chopped English cucumber to 1 part sugar by weight in a vacuum seal bag. Vacuum seal and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 hours, turning and massaging occasionally. If no vacuum sealer is available, use the same ingredients in a Ziplock bag, but allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator, still turning and massaging regularly.

**Aleppo Pepper Salt Mix

Combine equal parts Aleppo pepper and kosher salt in a dry lidded container. Shake vigorously until well integrated.

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Source: Mixology News