Hi all,
It’s been ages since I’ve posted a Cocktail Chronicle, let alone an original. But tonight I went all mad scientist and came up with a truly original I’ll call The Hulk, named after the drinking jar/cocktail shaker I made it in.
SPIRITS: 1 part gin; .5 parts Scotch Whisky
LIQUEURS: 1 part Poire Williams (pear fruit distillate)
SOURS: 1 part apple cider; .5 parts lemon juice
SWEETS: .5 Orgeat (i.e. almond syrup)
BITTERS: .5 parts Vermouth
Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake liberally to froth the cocktail. Pour into a cocktail glass and enjoy.
This is a sour style cocktail, but you won’t find it too toart. The vermouth, Scotch, Poire William, and Orgeat syrup lend a nice umami note to the drink that will balance out the sweetness and the tartness, while the herbal components of the gin will elevate it on the palate.
NOTES: Poire Williams is a clear fruit distillate made from pears. Clear unaged fruit distillates are probably better known to you from their catch-all term Eau de Vie. Kirsch and Poire Williams are by far the most famous ones, but you can find them made from pretty much any fruit made on earth. Grapes and apples get their own designations as Cognac, Armagnac, brandy and Calvados, but for all intents and purposes they are also eau de vies that have been aged.
The best eau de vies by far are distilled in Alsace in France. This said, you’ll find great fruit distillates also made in Italy, the United States and Canada.