Maple Cocktails
Here are 2 winter cocktails for you to enjoy after a busy holiday season, made perfect with the addition of Vermont maple syrup. Mix 'em up, sit back, relax, and sip these traditional favorites with a maple twist.
Buttermilk Maple Gin Flip (from J. Kenzi Lopez-Alt at Serious Eats)
The classic flip is a shaken drink made with a spirit, a whole egg, cream, and simple syrup. In this version, buttermilk replaces the cream, adding smoothness without the fat. Instead of simple syrup, use maple syrup, which plays off the warm spice notes of the nutmeg that dusts this drink's beautiful foamy rim.
Special Equipment: shaker, strainer
Ingredients
1 whole egg, separated
2 oz gin
1 oz buttermilk
1/2 oz maple syrup
fresh nutmeg (or nutmeg powder)
Serves: 1
Preparation
Total Time: 2 minutes
Place egg yolk in cocktail shaker with a few ice cubes. Seal shaker and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Open shaker, fill with ice, and add gin, buttermilk, egg white, and maple syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds and strain into chilled coupe or sour glass. Grate or sprinkle nutmeg over top, serve, and enjoy!
*Your drink will foam much better if you separate the egg yolk and give it its own spin in the shaker to break it up before adding the remaining ingredients.
Citrus and Anise Mulled Wine (from Max Falkowitz at Serious Eats)
This mulled wine is heavy on citrus and anise flavors thanks to a generous squeeze of orange and a complex blend of spices. A cheap Cabernet Sauvignon is all you need—the nuance of more expensive wines will get lost in the mulling.
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
6 allspice berries
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 blades mace
1 4-inch stick cinnamon
1 star anise petal
1 750-ml bottle cheap cabernet sauvignon
1 orange
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon brandy (suggested: plum or apricot brandy)
Serves: 3 cups
Preparation
Active Time: 5 min Total Time: 2-3 hrs.
1. Toast spices in a skillet on high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer to a spice infuser bag (except cinnamon stick).
2. In a small saucepan, bring wine to a bare simmer, then transfer to a slow cooker set on low heat. Add spices, juice of orange, and orange hull. Cover and steep on low heat.
3. After 2 hours, taste wine and add maple syrup and brandy. Cover and steep for another 30 minutes to an hour before serving. Enjoy!
