Read Infuse: Oil, Spirit, Water Online
Authors: Eric Prum,Josh Williams
Some things really do get better with age. This infusion is one of them. With time it gets sweeter, juicier, and more delicious. Just you wait.
Makes one cocktail
1 cube of cane sugar
5 dashes of aromatic bitters
3 oz of
Peach Bourbon
2 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon (plus 1 to garnish)
1 slice of fresh peach (to garnish)
i.
Add the cane sugar cubes and bitters to a cocktail mixing glass.
ii.
Muddle the ingredients in the bottom of the mixing glass until the sugar has mostly dissolved. Add the Peach Bourbon and spices.
iii.
Add ice to above the level of the liquid and stir for 15 seconds. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass containing a single large cube of ice.
iv.
Garnish with the remaining cinnamon and peach slice.
48 hours
12 oz
A bold spirit like mezcal (basically a smoky tequila) makes for a potent yet delicious infusion. The richly caramelized, tropical flavors of roasted pineapple smooth out the sharp edges of the mezcal to create something truly special and utterly delicious.
12 one-inch cubes of fresh pineapple, peel removed
12 oz of mezcal
i.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the pineapple on an unlined nonstick baking sheet and roast for one hour (or until slightly browned). Let cool.
ii.
Combine the pineapple and mezcal in a 16 oz Mason jar, seal, and shake for 30 seconds.
iii.
Let sit at room temperature for 48 hours.
iv.
Strain through cheesecloth, squeezing out any excess liquid.
v.
Use in cocktails or simply served over ice. The infusion will keep in the refrigerator for up to three months.
Great for putting a new spin on the classic margarita or sipping neat, chased with an ice-cold Mexican beer.
Mezcal is tequila’s more exciting cousin. Like tequila, it is distilled from the agave plant, but a unique underground roasting process gives mezcal its deliciously smoky taste.