I know, I know… not very creative. But even though I’m back in foggy ol’ SF, I feel like I’m permanently parched from the Vegas jaunt. And — as if I needed another excuse — it’s Mom’s favorite.
Flashback: Just as spring ended, we garnished this sangria with pears and citrus for our garden-warming party. It seems only fitting that we bid adÃos to summer with a peachy version.
Both the syrup and the fruit need to be made up ahead of time, so this is a perfect recipe to start today with an eye toward the long holiday weekend.
This recipe is based on Katie Loeb’s version.
Spicy Sangria
750ml bottle of neutral red wine
4oz orange liqueur, preferrably Cointreau
4oz brandy — we use E&J XO
4oz spiced simple syrup (recipe follows)
chopped fruit macerated in additional brandy and/or liqueur
club soda or sparkling water
Make the simple syrup the night before you plan to drink the sangria. If using hardy fruit — such as citrus, apples or pears — macerate the fruit overnight as well; summer fruits like peaches and berries only need a few minutes’ soaking time or they’ll turn to mush.The morning you plan to serve the sangria, mix the alcohols and syrup, and adjust for sweetness and booziness. Chill thoroughly until ready to serve.
Place LOTS of ice in a glass, and add some of the boozy fruit. Nearly fill the glass with sangria — leaving about an inch of head room — and then top with a glug of club soda.
Spiced Simple Syrup
2-3 sticks of Mexican canela (or 1 stick regular cinnamon)
4 full pieces star anise
1-1/2 tsp. cloves
1-1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
one pint of 1:1 simple syrup
Boil the spices in the syrup for 5 minutes, then cool overnight. Strain, then use as desired.
This Drink of the Week is trés simple:
Le Poire Royale
– 1 oz. Belle de Brillet (pear cognac liqueur)
– sparkling wine
Place the liqueur in a champagne flute and top with champagne or other sparkling wine. Garnish with a raspberry.
C’est bon!
I haven’t tested it, but if you don’t feel like hunting down Belle de Brillet — which I recommend that you do eventually, as it’s a nice thing to sip all on its own — you could probably substitute 2/3 oz. pear eau-de-vie (like the Clear Creek Pear that I know many of you have on hand for Falling Leaves) and 1/3 oz. cognac or other good-quality brandy.
Another one from Murray — I promise next week we’ll come up with something on our own, but this one’s too good.
Currier
2 oz. medium-body bourbon
1/2 oz. Kummel (caraway-cumin liqueur)
1/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/4 oz. Rose’s Lime Juice
Shake with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Murray found the Currier in the old Playboy Bar Guide. He sent it on to Simon Difford, who says he likes it so well he’s including it in the next Diffordsguide.
I figure we drink enough foofy cocktails that we should be able to post one every Friday. Let’s see if we can keep it up…
Today’s cocktail, like so many we love right now, comes to us courtesy of Murray Stenson, bartender to the stars at Seattle’s Zig Zag Cafe. This is a good drink for folks who like their cocktails on the sweet side. For the record, Cameron isn’t one of them…
Canton Cocktail (aka Chinese Cocktail)
2 oz. Jamaican rum — Murray suggests Appleton VX
1 teaspoon Maraschino liqueur
1 teaspoon Cointreau
1 teaspoon quality grenadine
1 dash angostura bitters
Place all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
If you can’t find good grenadine, it’s easy to make your own. Buy a bottle of unsweetened pomegranate juice (Trader Joe’s sells a nice one), heat a cup of it over medium-low heat until it’s reduced by half, and then add sugar to taste — usually about 1/2 cup — and stir until dissolved. Cool before using in cocktails or Shirley Temples.
