Batched Cocktails
A highlight of going to my parents’ home in Vancouver is that I essentially have an all-access pass to the overflowing pantry and home bar my mum has spent years adding to. It is without a doubt the most impressive private collection of exotic spices, herbs, dry goods, and kitchen equipment I’ve come across. The back pantry has made many of my gifts to friends possible. Jars of pickles, home canned san marzanos, award winning olive oil and spices generously given to me from my mum to share with friends. While this blog is dedicated to and made possible by my mum and her pantry this recipe was a gift for my dad.
One of the best parts of going home is making various cocktails for my dad and I that seem to always be shared in front of a fire, whether that be in the front room during the chilly months or on the patio while we soak in the sunshine. While I am home in Victoria my dad tends to revert to a glass of wine or bottle of beer as his private bartender is sadly MIA. This was the inspiration behind this batched ‘refashioned’.
An old-fashioned can only be labeled as such if it’s made with bourbon, sugar, bitters, diluted with ice and garnished with an orange twist or cherry. Anything differing this falls into the refashioned category, an often times more fun and unique place to be. The inspiration of this recipe was to have a beautiful cocktail that just needed to be poured over ice, stirred to dilute, and enjoyed. Beyond that, the goal was to take away the unhealthy, boring and uninspired white sugar and reimagine how it can be made in a way to benefit my dad and whoever he decides to share his batch with.
I’m by no means revealing any type of secret when I say white sugar is bad for you. It’s processed, addictive, heightens your chances of countless health problems and diseases. Really it’s more a mystery why people use it in recipes when there are alternatives that lend more depth of flavour and boast health benefits while not taking away from the final product. This is where my mum, her pantry and her seemingly never ending wisdom, good ideas and a jar of date molasses came in.
Date molasses is essentially liquified dates which means it shares the same health benefits while remaining free of sodium, cholesterol, trans fat and saturated fat. Out of all sweetener options, this has one of the lowest glycemic indexes while having high levels of flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid. Big scary words I know but essentially all this means is this syrup is a super sweetener that helps lower the risk of heart disease, inflammation and diabetes while increasing your heart health. Oh did I also mention the beautiful hints of caramel, brown sugar and vanilla it will add to whatever you chose to add it to? It’s a pretty miraculous and affordable pantry staple I know.
Angostura bitters are the go-to for an old fashioned and offer an aromatic bouquet of herbs fruits and spices. This refashioned is already starting with more depth of flavour so I looked for some bitters that had a flavour profile that would pair not only with the molasses but also the notes of maple, oak, nutmeg and toffee in the Bulleit bourbon. In came a birthday gift my mum picked up for my dad in New Orleans years ago, El Guapo chicory pecan bitters. Made with freshly roasted coffee and offering notes of chicory, pecan, and cinnamon.
Batched cocktails are a great gift that can fit into any budget depending on the volume you’re packaging. I chose to use a whole 26oz bottle of bourbon, but this could easily be made using 4 ounces of bourbon which perfectly serves two. I chose a beautiful vintage Baccarat crystal whiskey decanter to gift this in with two matching rocks glasses and a couple oranges to use as the twists to garnish. Half the fun of batched cocktails is sourcing the packaging. Thrift stores, antique shops, estate sales or in my case the back of mum’s home bar are great places to find unique vessels.
Ingredients
1 750ml bottle Bulleit Bourbon (1 oz)
12 oz date molasses (0.5 oz)
78 dashes El Guapo chicory pecan bitters (3 dashes)
Measurements in brackets are for a single serving
Assembly
Add Molasses to a large jug and add in roughly one cup of bourbon mixing until combined. Add in remaining molasses and bitters mixing one more time until thoroughly combined.
Using a funnel add your refashioned mixture into your vessel of choice.
Gifting
I recommend giving this batched cocktail with a pair of vintage glasses as well as an orange or two to garnish with. If you want to take it one step further king cube ice trays are a nice touch and the ideal size of ice to serve over as it won't melt quicker than the cocktail is being consumed. I like to gift the bottle with a label tied around the neck, one side with the cocktail's name and the other side with serving instructions. To serve pour 2.5 ounces over ice and mix to slightly dilute, using a vegetable peeler take a portion of orange rind and bend over your glass to coat with the essential oils, drop the peel in, and enjoy!
This recipe is shelf stable but will separate over time, before serving make sure to give the bottle a gentle swirl to ensure all the ingredients are equally mixed.
x mads
Comentaris