winter fruit holiday cocktails • bountyseason’s Celebrate the fruits of winter in your holiday cocktails. Cranberry, pomegranate, citrus—there’s nothing quite like the bright, punchy flavors of winter fruits. Holiday cocktails often lean heavily on the deep flavors of dried or distilled fruits, but we asked eight bartenders to raid their produce markets and infuse the season’s freshest flavors into some extraordinary cocktails. The results—from a fig-sweetened rum cocktail to a kumquat-kissed twist on the Sidecar—are sure to make your holidays bright. Photos by LARA FERRONI the softer side One part sweet with just a touch of tang, peak- season Meyer lemons add a bright burst of pucker- free flavor to this mix of bourbon, orgeat and bitters from Indiana-based bartender Colin Boilini. “It’s the kind of cocktail you can serve throughout a party since it’s subtle enough to sip as an aperitif, but with a bright Meyer lemon acidity that also cuts through the richness of a big holiday feast,” says Boilini. 2 oz. bourbon ¾ oz. fresh Meyer lemon juice ½ oz. orgeat ¼ oz. simple syrup (1:1) 3 drops orange flower water 2 dashes Angostura bitters Tools: shaker, strainer, fine strainer Glass: cocktail Garnish: Meyer lemon twist Combine all ingredients and shake with ice cubes. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish. COLIN BOILINI The Rail, Bloomington, Indiana MEYER LEMON This cocktail also mixes well with tip other brown spirits like rye, Cognac and aged rum. If you’re serving a crowd, you can let guests choose their own spirits—simply premix a big batch of the other ingredients and let guests customize their cocktails with their spirit of choice. POMEGRANATE nutty squirrel As bright in color as they are in taste, tangy Pomegranate Molasses: Combine 1 cup of fresh (or pomegranate seeds add a burst of flavor to this bottled) pomegranate juice, 1 tablespoon of water, rich rye cocktail from bartender Scott Fitzgerald. 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar (or more to taste) in a small 1½ oz. rye saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and ½ oz. fresh lemon juice simmer for 30 minutes, until slightly thickened. ½ oz. simple syrup (1:1) Strain into a small glass jar and refrigerate until ¼ oz. nocello ready to use or up to 2 weeks. ¼ oz. pomegranate molasses SCOTT FITZGERALD Tools: shaker, strainer, fine-strainer Mulberry Project, New York City Glass: cocktail Garnish: pomegranate seeds and an orange wheel Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice cubes Pressed for time? Bottled and shake until chilled. Double-strain into a chilled tip pomegranate molasses is sold in glass and garnish. most Middle Eastern markets. 4 imbibemagazine.com ~ november/december 2012 APPLE the spiced apple Crazy for apple pie? Then you’ll love this boozy reinterpretation from Robert Ortenzio that mixes spiced-apple goodness with bourbon and Chardonnay. “The infused bourbon provides the flavors of mulling spices, while the wine lends a subtle flavor of pastry dough,” says Ortenzio. “A little bitters brings out the apple and ties it all together.” 1¼ oz. spiced apple bourbon ¾ oz. Chardonnay ½ oz. unfiltered apple juice ½ oz. cinnamon syrup (see below, or use a store-bought version like B.G. Reynolds’) 3 dashes orange bitters Tools: shaker, strainer Glass: rocks Garnish: apple slice Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice cubes and shake until chilled, then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish. Spiced Apple Bourbon 1 liter bourbon 4 Gala apples 2 whole star anise 4 whole cloves 6 cinnamon sticks Core and cut each apple into 8 pieces. Combine all ingredients in any sealable container, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours. Cinnamon Syrup 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 4 cinnamon sticks, broken into large pieces Bring ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. Discard cinnamon, strain into a glass jar and cover. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. ROBERT ORTENZIO Yardbird, Miami For the ultimate winter warmer, tip heat the ingredients on the stovetop and serve this drink warmed in a heatproof glass or mug. november/december 2012 ~ imbibemagazine.com 5 CLEMENTINE winter pisco punch This cocktail from Maxine Sharkey Combine ingredients, except ginger beer, Combine all ingredients, except vinegar Giammo wraps the flavor of clementines and shake with ice. Strain into an iced and clementine segments, in a saucepan in a blanket of warming spice. “The spiced glass, top with ginger beer and garnish. and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and syrup and citrus give a fun seasonal twist simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remove to the floral notes of pisco,” says Giammo. Clementine-Spiced Syrup from heat, add the vinegar and cool to 2 cups granulated sugar room temperature. Strain the syrup 1½ oz. pisco 2 cups water (discard the solids), add fresh clementine ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp. clementine zest segments and refrigerate for up to 1 ½ oz. clementine-spiced syrup 2 inches ginger, peeled and chopped week. 4 segments of spiced clementines, 1 Tbsp. allspice berries reserved from the syrup 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns MAXINE SHARKEY GIAMMO 1 barspoon fresh pomegranate seeds 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar Hog & Rocks, San Francisco 1½ oz. ginger beer 5-6 fresh clementines, peeled and separated into segments Tools: shaker, strainer Glass: Collins Garnish: clementine wheel 6 imbibemagazine.com ~ november/december 2012 PEAR solstice sunset No need to head south for the winter— Combine tequila, pear purée, lemon from heat, cool, then purée the pears and this twist on a Tequila Sunrise brings the juice and agave syrup in a shaker with their baking liquid and double-strain into flavors home. “I was inspired by dessert ice cubes and shake to chill. Strain into a container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. pears poached in red wine,” says Lynn an ice-filled glass, then drizzle slowly Pinot Noir Reduction: House. “The pear and lemon make a with the Pinot reduction to make a In a saucepan, nice balance of sweet and tart, and the sunset effect. combine one 750 ml. bottle of Pinot Noir Pinot adds a beautiful color and hints of with 3 cups of white sugar. Bring to a light berries and earth.” Poached Pear Purée: Wash, quarter and boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid seed 6 pears, skin on, and set aside. In a reduces by two-thirds (about 45 minutes). 2 oz. reposado tequila saucepan, combine 3 cups of water and 3 Remove from heat, letting the syrup cool 1½ oz. poached pear purée cups of granulated sugar and simmer at a before bottling and refrigerating. ½ oz. fresh lemon juice low boil for 10 minutes, then add the pear LYNN HOUSE ½ oz. agave syrup sections and poach for about 20 minutes Blackbird, Chicago (1:1 agave nectar to water) or until the pears are fork-tender. Remove ½ oz. Pinot Noir reduction Tools: shaker, strainer Glass: Collins november/december 2012 ~ imbibemagazine.com 7 KUMQUAT kumquat-cardamom sidecar The tiny kumquat makes up in flavor what it lacks in size, delivering a bright citrus punch in this cardamom-spiced riff on a classic Sidecar. “It’s the perfect transition between lamb chops and holiday fruitcake,” says Doug Williams. 1½ oz. Cognac 1½ oz. kumquat- and cardamom-infused white wine ½ oz. fresh lemon juice ½ oz. simple syrup (1:1) Tools: shaker, strainer Glass: coupe rimmed with turbinado sugar Garnish: fresh kumquat skewered on a cocktail pick and freshly grated nutmeg Combine all ingredients with ice cubes in a shaker and shake to chill. Strain into a sugar-rimmed, chilled coupe and garnish. Kumquat- and Cardamom- Infused White Wine 1 750 ml. bottle of dry white wine (Pinot Grigio works well) 2 oz. vodka (or other neutral spirit) ½ cup granulated sugar 24 kumquats, quartered 15 green cardamom pods Combine all ingredients, except vodka, and infuse for 24 hours. Strain into a clean glass bottle, add vodka and keep refrigerated for up to two weeks. tip DOUG WILLIAMS & STEPHEN LANDISH The infused wine makes a delicious The Hotel Foster and Boone & Crockett aperitif on its own. Simply pour it Milwaukee, Wisconsin over ice and garnish with a fresh kumquat. And if you can’t find kumquats, navel oranges will work just fine. Just substitute the zest (no white pith) of three large oranges for the kumquats and infuse as directed. FIG the brown turkey One bite of savory fig stuffing served at a holiday feast and Justin Chamberlin knew he’d found his next cocktail inspiration. This formula combines the subtle spices of aged rum with the sultry sweetness of figs and a bright pop of sparkling wine. 1 oz. aged rum 1 oz. fig and brown sugar reduction 3 dashes orange bitters (Chamberlin uses Regans’) 2 oz. sparkling wine Tools: shaker, strainer, fine strainer Glass: flute Garnish: orange twist Combine all ingredients, except sparkling wine, and shake with ice cubes. Fine-strain into a chilled flute, top with sparkling wine and garnish. Fig and Brown Sugar Reduction: Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Add ½ a cup of chopped fresh figs (Chamberlin uses Brown Turkeys, but feel free to substitute any variety), and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from heat and let steep for 25 minutes. Fine-strain into a glass bottle and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. JUSTIN L. CHAMBERLIN Sagra Trattoria and Bar Austin, Texas Can’t find fresh figs? Simply substitute tip dried figs and follow the recipe as directed.