Mescolato COCKTAIL RECIPES
EXCERPTS FROM SODDISFARE MAGAZINE
“STIRRED”
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Erin Kennedy
PHOTOGRAPHY Erin Kennedy
FINANCIÈRE Sharon Kennedy
FOOD EDITOR Shelby Park
CRITIC Devin Kennedy
ABOUT SODDISFARE The title of our magazine is an Italian verb, which means “to satisfy.” It is meant to encapsulate the magazine’s mission and philosophy: we should celebrate the power of food to satisfy us beyond the plate and beyond our bellies. It can be a feast for our eyes, it can connect us to memories of our past, and it can transport us to places we’ve never been to before. At Soddisfare, we strive to capture the experience and the art of food through photography and writing, in addition to sharing its tastes and sensations with practical recipes. Hopefully you’re hungry, and get ready to tuck in, or as the Italians say, “Mangia!”
ABOUT MESCOLAT0
COPYRIGHT Photography and recipes in Mescolato are from Soddisfare magazine, Issue 2. Content copyright by Erin Kennedy and may ot be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the author.
This is the first recipe collection of Soddisfare magazine. It is named for the Italian word meaning “stirred.” The hope is that the enclosed shaken, stirred, and infused drink recipes will satisfy readers just as much as Soddisfare magazine.
TO LEARN MORE visit soddisfaremag.com
FROM THE MAKERS OF
contents Cranberry-Pear Cocktail
2
Burnt-Orange New Fashioned
6
INFUSIONS
8
Rum Cherries
10
Blackberry-Apple Shrub
12
Pecan-Infused Bourbon
14
Adult Iced Coffee
16
Sweet Beet Whiskey Sour
18
Mescolato “STIRRED”
Cocktail Recipes and Photos from the Cocktail Issue of Soddisfare Magazine created by
Erin Kennedy
COUPE GLASS
THE ULITIMATE
Holiday Cocktail
2
Who else considers cranberries the quintessential holiday fruit?
Tart and colorful, they can pair with both savory and sweet, with a Thanksgiving feast or a Christmas dessert. Try them in our signature holiday cocktail though and you’ll see why these berries are taking center stage at our tables this season.
CRANBERRY-PEAR COCKTAIL 4 ounces 1 1/3 ounce
vodka cranberry-pear puree (see next page for recipe)
1 ounce
CRU dessert wine (or simple syrup)
2/3 ounce 1 pinch
lemon juice egg white (optional) cinnamon (plus more for ser ving)
WITHOUT EGG WHITE: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and ser ve in festive stemwear. WITH EGG WHITE: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake for 15 seconds without ice. Then add a generous amount of ice and shake vigorously for at least another 30 seconds, until frothy. Strain into glasses and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. MAKES 2 DRINKS
SHAKE THOSE WHITES This cocktail can be made two ways: one with egg whites and one without. We think the drink is equally delicious both ways, but if you want to turn those goopy egg whites into a foamy topping, it takes a little extra work. The egg whites must be very cold becuase you’re essentially forcing air into them to create volume and texture, just as you do with meringue. We also recommend making only one drink at a time in a large shaker with as much ice as you can fit. FOR AN EX TRA FESTIVE TOUCH, we like to garnish these holiday sippers with frosted herbs or cranberries. Flip the page for the recipe.
There are plenty of festive drinks, and we would be lying if we
said we eschewed every other seasonal sipper in favor of this one. But as soon as you taste it, you’ll be wondering how we crammed (or “cranned”) so much holiday flavor into such a pretty and refreshing drink. This recipe features two ways to make the drink—there’s the quick version complete with vivid coloring and cranberry-pear flavors, and then there’s the more involved preparation which includes vigrously shaking egg whites with the other ingredients to produce the frothy, creamy topping. The flavors in the latter version don’t differ drastically, but the egg whites add an interesting consistency and major drama in presentation. For either version, try dusting a little cinnamon on top so that the spicy aroma is the first thing that you experience when you raise the glass.
FROST YOUR GREENS The cranberry frosting method described on the opposite page can be applied to more than just fruit. Try frosting herbs like thyme and rosemary for additional garnishes. Dunk them in egg whites and roll them in sugar just as you would for cranberries. They have more limbs and crevices though, so be sure to get the egg white mixture and sugar to coat them completely. Drop them into a drink to use as an aromatic stirrer or add them to a frosted cranberry and herb arrangement to make a festive centerpiece.
FOR THE PUREE Combine 2 peeled pears (we used Asian pears) and 1/2 pound of cranberries in a medium sauce pot. Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and the juice from 1 lemon. Sprinkle over about 1 cup of sugar (you’ll have a chance to adjust sweetness later to taste) and about 1/4 cup of water. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until all cranberries have burst. Transfer to blender and puree. Return liquid to the pot and reduce over low heat for about 30 minutes. Taste periodically and add sugar to reach desired sweetness. Cook until puree reaches desired thickness, then strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Refridgerate until ready to use.
WE USED CRU to sweeten this drink, which is a fortified dessert wine from Virginia that has been aged in Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrels. You can use an mild and sweet dessert wine or use simple syrup in its place.
FROSTED CRANBERRIES 1.
In one medium sized bowl, whisk together 1 egg white for every 1/2 pound of cranberries that you intend to frost with 1 tbsp of water. In another medium sized bowl, add about 1.5 cups (for every 1/2 lb of cranberries) of superfine white sugar.
2.
Add a handful of cranberries at a time to the egg white mixture and roll to coat completely. Take 1 cranberry at a time and transfer to the sugar. Toss gently until sugar has stuck all around the cranberry. Transfer to a clean plate. Repeat until all cranberries are frosted.
3.
Allow frosted cranberries to dry at room temperature for at least 6 hours until the sugar and egg whites have hardened.
ROCKS GLASS
6
BURNT-ORANGE NEW FASHIONED
The Old Fashioned is a cocktail that’s been around since the 19th
century and includes all of the flavor components of an well-balanced cocktail: acidic orange, bitter Angostura bitters, sweet sugar, and the all important spirit—bourbon. Traditionally, the sugar is in cube form (either white or brown), and it’s muddled with the orange and bitters. Then, the bourbon is added, and the glass is filled with ice. Throughout its 100+ year lifespan, the Old Fashioned has undoubtedly accumulated different preparation methods, competing opinions on how it should be made, and innovative twists on the recipe. In our opinion, an Old Fashioned is any bourbon cocktail that features sugar, orange, and bitters, so we believe the burnt orange cocktail featured below falls under that umbrella, although Old Fashioned purists might not agree. Perhaps they’re just too “old fashioned,” but we’re still calling ours a New Fashioned just to be safe.
BURNT-ORANGE NEW FASHIONED 4 ounces
bourbon (we like Bulleit or Elijah Craig)
1 ounce 1 ounce
fresh-squeezed lemon juice burnt-orange simple syrup (see below for recipe)
2
orange slices
Add liquid ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a rocks glass over ice. Place orange slices on foil under the broil. Broil on high until edges just start to blacken. Flip slices and continue broiling until new edges begin to crisp and darken. Slices should be slightly smoking and fragrant. Top drinks with slices and ser ve immediately. MAKES 2 DRINKS
SPICE IT HOW YOU LIKE
FOR THE SYRUP
To up the “burnt,” spicy factor, we like to spice up our simple syrup with pink peppercorns, allspice, a dash of hot sauce, and a pinch of cayenne. Try different spices or hot sauces depending on your tolerance and tastes.
Add 1 cup water, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small sauce pot. Add the zest and juice of 1 orange. Add rough cracked pink peppercorns, a few dashes of hot sauce, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and allspice. Cook over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a glass container and refrigerate.
WAITING FOR
INFUSIONS
8
RUM CHERRIES
SHRUB
PECAN-BOURBON
We reveal the secret behind an Italian’s prized rum cherries. (Spoiler: it’s patience!)
How vinegar can preser ve fruit, add acidity, and be turned into a refreshing drink.
This classic pie pairing gets turned into a modern cocktail infusion.
Sometimes the best things in life take time, and good food and drinks are no exception. How time-consuming could making a cocktail possibly be, you ask? How about a cherry-infused rum aperitif that is five years in the making. Read on for recipes and tales of time-consuming drinks that are well worth the wait.
BALL JAR
The Best Rum Cherries
YOU’LL NEVER TASTE
10
Infusing is simply the process of letting the flavors of one item
gradually meld into the flavors of another. One of our favorite applications of this process is to infuse fruits and spices into spirits like vodka or gin, and then to use those infusions to enhance the flavor of cocktails. A few months ago, however, we came across another reason to make alcoholic infusions, and that is to flavor and then consume the item that you put inside the liquor. A friend of ours was infusing cherries in rum to make boozy cherries, and the fact that the rum was also flavored and enhanced by the process was almost an afterthought. We were lucky enough to try those boozy cherries one night, when the occasion was deemed special enough. Salvatore broke open his prized bottle and dug out a single cherry for each person. While we are used to infusing things for weeks at most, these cherries had been soaking for over five years, and that was immediately obvious by how intense and marvelous they tasted. They were somehow still firm and very alcoholic, numbing your tongue slightly in a pleasant, intoxicating way. We immediately wanted to replicate the effect, so we filled a jar with inexpensive rum, submerged some fresh cherries in it, and tucked them far in the back of the fridge where we hoped we would not be tempted to try them prematurely. About two months into the process, we stole a few cherries from the jar, hoping that we would find they were getting close to as good as Salvatore’s after only a few months instead of Salvatore’s long wait of five years. They were certainly not ready yet though, and they probably won’t be for quite some time. But we have learned a few lessons from tasting them prematurely that we’d like to share with anyone who’s willing to try an infusions and wait with us for the long haul. First, store your infusion in a cool, dark place because it does have fresh fruit in it, and you don’t want it to spoil. We have ours nestled in the very back of the fridge. Second, we recommend pitting the cherries because it will puncture the skin, allowing the rum to infuse more easily, and because they are much easier to eat that way. Third, we did not add any sugar at first, thinking that the natural sweetness from the fruit would be enough to temper the bite of the rum. It was not! So be sure to add a decent bit of sugar when you begin your infusion, and don’t worry—the granules will slowly dissolve in the alcohol. That’s all there is to it! Although we haven’t managed to wait long enough to try the finished product. We’ll try to cover that in a follow-up article... about four years from now.
FOR AN INFUSION that only takes a few weeks and that we have actually made from start-to-finish, flip the page for our recipe for a blackberr y-apple shrub.
HIGHBALL GLASS
12
BLACKBERRYAPPLE SHRUB
We were interested in trying a nonalcoholic infusion and came across the concept of a shrub. Making a shrub is an old fashioned way of flavoring vinegar and preserving fresh fruit or fruit flavor, and it refers to a sweetened vinegar syrup that’s flavored with fruit or herbs. You don’t drink these infusions on their own, as they are mostly vinegar and very acidic, but they are perfect for adding to sodas or cocktails for a flavor and well-balanced drink. There are many ways to make shrubs (some are faster and involve mascerating fruit in sugar to create a syrup), but we are featuring an infusion process, one that you’ll get to taste the payoff from in a matter of weeks.
GIN SHRUB COCKTAIL 4 ounces
gin (we like Silverback from VA)
3 ounces 1 ounce 1/4 ounce
blackberry apple shrub orange juice or tangerine juice fresh-squeezed lime juice sparkling water
Add the first four ingredients to a shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously. Depending on how sweetened your shrub is, you may need to adjust your recipe to balance the sweetness and acidity. Pour in a highball glass over ice. Top with sparkling water. We like garnishing with a colorful straw. MAKES 2 DRINKS
MORE TO THE SHRUB The shrub should not be limited to just being a cocktail flavoring agent. It can be added to many more drinks and foods, like sparkling water for a refreshing soda or salad dressings. We’ve even heard of it it being reduced further and being used for a glaze on meat like pork chops.
TO KEEP THE FUIT SUBMERGED in the vinegar and to keep it from browning on the top, tr y putting a little glass dish or plastic clip right on top so that it forces the fruit below the level of the vinegar.
FOR THE SHRUB Fill a jar with fresh, cleaned fruit. Berries can be left whole, but fruits like apples and pears should have the skins removed. Pour over 2 parts vinegar (we like apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar) and 1 part water. Store in refridgerator for about 4 weeks, or until vinegar has reached desired flavor. Strain out the fruit (reserve for another use) and transfer the flavored vinegar into a saucepan. Heat over low, add sugar and/or honey to taste, and cook until sugar has dissolved. Refridgerate until ready to use.
MARTINI TUMBLER
14
Pecan-Infused BOURBON
Our final featured infusion takes only a few days but truly delivers
on flavor. We added pecans and bourbon to a jar and let them sit for just about a week before straining out the pecans. Don’t discard those bourbon-soaked pecans though—save them for making candied nuts that have a spicy bourbon kick. Then use the pecan-infused bourbon for this strong, simple cocktail that lets the infused bourbon shine. The sweet nuttiness of the pecans helps to mellow some of the bite that whiskey can have, and it adds a depth and complexity even to a less-expensive bourbon. Dress it simply with fresh lemon juice, sweet vermouth, and maple syrup. This is the kind of flexible cocktail that is just as at home in a martini glass or tumbler as it is in a rocks glass. We love the added touch of a large spherical ice cubes though, and you can find molds at stores like cocktailkingdom.com.
PECAN-BOURBON COCKTAIL 4 ounces 1 ounce 3/4 ounce 1 ounce
pecan-infused bourbon sweet vermouth good maple syrup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
CANDY YOUR NUTS After making this infusion, don’t discard the pecans—save them for candying. Cook the bourbon pecans in simple syrup with spices like cinnamon, cayenne, and extra brown sugar, transfer to an oiled baking sheet, and bake at 350°, tossing occaisonally, until crisp and the simple syrup has set.
Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a generous amount of ice. Shake vigorously and strain into martini glasses, tumblers, or rocks glasses. MAKES 2 DRINKS
TO MAKE THE INFUSION Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350° for about 10 minutes, or until they become fragrant (watch them closely so they don’t burn though!). Allow pecans to cool and transfer to a jar and top with 1.5 cups of bourbon. Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, tasting occaisonally. Strain out the pecans and reser ve for another use. Store the bourbon in the fridge until ready to use.
OTHER INFUSIONS TO TRY: Following this same infusing process, you can easily experiment with other alcohol infusions. Tr y jalapeno and lime in tequila, ginger and grapefruit in gin, or apple and cinnamon in bourbon. Some spices and fruits take longer than others to infuse, so be sure to taste your infusion often.
SUNDAE GLASS
ADULT ICED
CREAM COFFEE
16
Have you ever wanted to combine the creamy, childhood nostalgia of a milkshake and the adult, alcoholic indulgence of a cocktail? Short of pulling out your blender and whipping up a bourbon milkshake (which we do definitely recommend!), this cocktail delivers that frothy, creamy texture of a milkshake with the added sophistication of coffee and vodka. Whenever you make a big pot of coffee, collect the extra in a jar and store it in the fridge so you’re ready to mix up one of these frothy delights.
ADULT ICED CREAM COFFEE 4 ounces 4 ounces 2 scoops
vodka chilled coffee vanilla ice cream
PRO TIP: Make just one drink at a time so the ingredients have enough room to mix properly and become frothy within the shaker.
Add the ingredients to a shaker and top with a few ice cubes (if you add too many, the ice cream won’t fully mix into the drink). Shake vigrously for at least 30 seconds. Strain and serve over ice in an old-fashioned sundae glass (if you have one) with a colorful straw. MAKES 2 DRINKS
SHAKE UP THE FLAVOR This recipe is inspired by the Absolut Pistachio Moustachio, which is a shaken vodka cocktail with condensed milk, coffee, and pistachio ice cream featured on absolutdrinks.com. We like the simplicity of our vanilla version, but we also encourage you to shake up the flavors with different kinds of ice cream, like pistachio, chocolate, or even caramel. Or if you’re feeling really ambitious, you can make your own ice cream. We like churning flavors like salted caramel, toasted marshmallow, and cookies-and-cream.
HOMEMADE ICE CREAM If you wanted to add even more flavor to this cocktail, you could make your own ice cream and flavor it however you’d like. For a simple ice cream base, combine 2 cups of cream and 1 cup of milk or half-andhalf in a sauce pot. Cook over low heat. Meanwhile, whisk together 3-4 egg yolks and 1-1.5 cups of sugar (depending on how sweet you want it) until light and frothy. When the cream mixture is warm and slightly steaming (but not boiling), add 1/3 of the mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine. Now add the warmed egg yolks and cream back to the sauce pot and continue cooking over low heat for about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Add any desired flavoring to this custard base, chill overnight, and churn with an ice cream maker the next day.
MARTINI TUMBLER
Sweet Beet
WHISKEY SOUR
18
For cocktails that are more unique than your garden-variety gin
and tonic, try starting with an unexpected ingredient that isn’t one of the traditional mixers like margarita mix or cranberry juice. This recipe is a play on a whiskey sour, but it’s made with beet simple syrup. Beets have a naturally-earthy sweetness and a brilliant pink color that make them a great addition to a number of different cocktails. And our recipe for beet simple syrup uses the beets’ braising liquid—a byproduct of cooking the beets that may otherwise be wasted. This way you get to eat your beets and drink great cocktails too!
SWEET BEET WHISKEY SOUR 4 ounces
bourbon (we like Bulleit or Elijah Craig)
1 ounce
beet simple syrup (see below for recipe)
1 ounce
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a generous amount of ice. Shake vigorously and ser ve in a martini glass or tumbler. MAKES 2 DRINKS
fresh-squeezed lime juice
BEETS FOR LATER Wondering what to do with the beets you just cooked for this cocktail recipe? Try ser ving them sliced in a salad with oranges, goat cheese, and toasted pecans. Or blend them with simple syrup until smooth, then churn in an ice cream maker for a sweet beet sorbet.
PRO TIP: Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water, so if you wanted to make 2 cups of simple syrup, then add 2 cups of water (or beet braising liquid) and 2 cups of sugar instead. Tr y other flavored simple syrups like burnt-orange or jalepeño-lime.
BEET SIMPLE SYRUP Arrange 3-5 beets snuggly in a casserole dish and cover the beets 1/3 of the way with water. Wrap tightly with foil and bake at 350° for 60-90 minutes, or until a sharp knife can slide easily into the beets. Let the beets cool slightly, then peel and store for another use. Strain the liquid remaining from roasting the beets and transfer 1 cup of it to a small sauce pot. Add 1 cup of sugar and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add additional flavorings if desired, such as orange peel, transfer to a jar, and store in the fridge.
Mescolato “STIRRED”
SALUTE!