At Craftbar, Tom Colicchio's restaurant at Broadway and 19th in New York City, they serve a refreshingly delightful cocktail called Garden of Fire. It pulls its deep vegetal tones from cucumber, flecks of pink peppercorn and jalapeno-infused vodka splashed with an Italian aperitif, Cocchi Americano.
Cocchi (pronounced co-key) is a white wine from the Asti province of Italy. It's infused with citrus peel, botanicals and cinchona bark, which adds a subtle bitter note missing in its citrusy French cousin, Lillet.
In playing around with jalapeno intensity and flavor additions, I found that gin, with its hints of juniper, works well as the base. (Slice a jalapeno and drop it into a half-full bottle of gin, store in the fridge.) And to soften the alcoholic content, a splash of grapefruit juice and/or lime-flavored seltzer is marvelous.
Directions:
2 ounces jalapeno-infused gin
1 ounce Cocchi Americano
Splash of grapefruit juice, lime-flavored seltzer (optional)
Serve chilled or over ice.
Suggested soundtrack: "Falling" Haim
jalapeno-infused gin......I feel as if i have not lived in life. Where has this Gin been all my life
ReplyDelete