Mixing It Up Mondays

The second installment of Mixing it up Monday features a brand new cocktail that I created for Koloa Rum Company. I was hanging out in Binny's Beverage Depot and stumbled across a brand new Rum company to hit the shelves here in Chicago.. Bought a bottle and actually enjoyed the spirit. So a few weeks later via my twitter profile, the same company reached out to me to create a cocktail for the website. I jumped on the opportunity and here is what I came up with...

Apple Fritter
1.5oz Kaua'i White
1oz Lairds Apple Jack
.5 Spiced Simple Syrup
.5 Fresh Lime Juice
2 dashes homemade Apple Bitters
Garish with an Apple Slice or Cinnamon stick
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon and the slice of an apple.

Below is the recipes for the simple syrup and the Apple bitters... Cheers and Happy Mixing. Be on the lookout for this recipe on Koloa Rum's website soon...

Until next time
Mr. Mixologist



\


Spiced Simple Syrup--
Equal parts sugar to water.(I use 2 to 1 myself) Add Allspice berries, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and anise pods.. Bring mixture to a boil, until sugar is dissolved and let steep for 5 minutes. Cool and bottle. Usually lasts a week while refrigerated.

Apple Bitters
(Recipe from the book- Bitters A Spirited History of the classic cure all by Brad Thomas Parsons) 

Peels from 6 medium to large (preferably organic) apples

Zest of half a lemon, cut into strips

2 Cinnamon sticks

.5 tsp Allspice berries

.25 tsp Coriander

.5 tsp Cassia chips

.5 tsp Cinchona bark

 4 Cloves

 2 cups High-proof bourbon

1 cup Water

2 tbsp Rich simple syrup (two parts sugar, one part water)

Place the apple peels, lemon zest, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, cassia, cinchona bark and cloves in a 1-quart Mason jar or other glass container with a lid. Add the bourbon, making sure all the ingredients are covered. (Add more bourbon if needed.) Seal, and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks, shaking once a day. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined funnel into a clean 1-quart jar, squeezing the cheesecloth to release any excess liquid. Seal the jar and set aside.

Transfer the solids to a small saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Add the contents of the saucepan to another 1-quart Mason jar, seal and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight, for 1 week, shaking once a day. Strain through cheesecloth until all solids have been removed and add the liquid to the bourbon mixture. Add the rich simple syrup and shake to combine. Let stand for 3 days and strain through cheesecloth again to remove any debris. The bitters will last indefinitely, but for best flavor use within 1 year.

Product Review- Xante Liqueur

So I'm hanging out at one of the bars I work last night(Big shouts out to the South Loop Hotel Bar, and the L26 restaurant) and one of the mangers came up to me and said, "hey , I know you like Cognac, so have you tried Xante?" To his surprise I hadn't. I know right, Shame on me!!! A cognac lover like myself whose tasted a little bit of everything hadn't drank this.

So, I tasted it, then I tasted it again, then again, and again, and so on. As you can tell I liked it. Before I get into my personal assessment of  Xante, I would love to give you guys a little background on it. Did a little research on it and here is what I found out.....

Xante is composed by Richard Heinrich, master blender at Maison Heinrich Liquoristerie Artisanale. Young cognac from Distillerie des Moisans in Sireul, Cognac, is mixed with pear extracts from the Flemish fruit district north of Liege.


It has a taste that owns a combination of the soft sweetness of ripe pears and the potens and intensity of a fine cognac. So Cognac and pears is an amazing pairing. The smell that I got from this was flat out beautiful.. By the Cognac being aged in Oak, you get that rich, oak smell but then by adding the pear element it takes this drink to an even higher level.

So now comes the best part of a product review........ The tasting!!!

I tried the Xante straight with no ice in a snifter.. It was great. Light enough that it left no aftertaste or any burn, but still strong enough to be enjoyed by an avid Cognac lover. This is the type of spirit that is enjoyed alone, or can be used to spice up another drink. And very ideal for Coffee.

Now as far as mixed cocktails, Myself and my bartender sister Mita came up with a great twist on a margarita by adding Xante. So here is the Xante Mango Margarita

 2oz 1800 Silver tequila

 1oz Xante Cognac

 1oz Mango juice Puree

  Fresh Sour
  Shake and strain into a iced pint glass









And I looked on  the Xante website and got an idea for a great Martini so here's my take on it. I call it the "XanTini"





XanTini


1.5oz Xante
.5oz Tanqueray 10
.5oz Grey Goose Citrus
a Pinch of Wasabi

Shake and strain into a Chilled Martini Glass, and Garnish with 2 Lime Wedges.

So hopefully you guys get to try Xante soon. I recommend it to anyone who likes cognac, and especially for those who are new to cognac based cocktails.  No bite, but the classic cognac feel to it. Will become a staple in my personal bar and will be a feature at the South Loop Hotel bar, and for most private events that I will work in the future!

Until next time
Mr.Mixologist