Jupiter Drinks: Infusions

I'm probably too easy to impress. But, sometimes I look over a drink menu and the cocktail that stands out is the one that says something like "apple and cinnamon infused bourbon" or "blueberry infused vodka". Each and every time I'm hooked. It's like there's something in my head that says "oooooo, it's infyoooooosed," thus mandating my drink order.

It turns out that infusions aren't as fancy as they sound, and for the most part they're incredibly easy to do. A booze infusion is simply adding another element of flavor to a base alcohol by letting it steep in whatever flavor you are infusing, giving that flavor a more pronounced role in the party. Meaning, instead of just adding a bit of fruit juice, candy or spice to drink, the flavors marinate with the alcohol for anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

I started thinking about infusions recently when I realized blood oranges were in season. Blood oranges add great color to an infusion, have a flavor profile that goes well with a lot of drinks, and they seem to have that same "oooooo" factor that infusions have. So, I grabbed a few of those, bought some tequila and used some Four Roses Yellow Label I had on hand and infused them.

All that took was grabbing a couple of airtight containers, slicing up some blood oranges, grating in some zest and letting them sit in the containers for a few days. I just gave them a little swirl (just picking up the bottle and giving it a few spins) everyday, just to keep things milling around. After a few days, I strained the oranges and zest out and was left with a delicious blood orange infused tequila and bourbon. Now, what to do with them?

For the bourbon, I decided to do a play on the traditional negroni. A negroni is a classic cocktail consisting of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth in equal parts (usually) and a hit of bitters. I figured the natural sweetness of the bourbon now infused with the citrus of the blood orange could easily replace the gin for an equally delicious drink. I also played with the proportions adding a little more bourbon and less Campari to let the bourbon shine through.

Blood Orange Infused Bourbon "Negroni":

35ml Blood Orange infused Four Roses Yellow Label

35ml sweet vermouth

25ml Campari

dash Angostura bitters

Just give all of that a good shake and pour over ice into a rocks glass.



Yum! And great color, too!

Now, for the tequila. I have to admit tequila confuses me, even before I open the bottle. Obviously, margaritas work, but other cocktails with tequila never quite seem to work out the way I want them to. So, I went a pretty traditional route with an on the rocks margarita. It may seem a little dainty when poured, but there's a good bit of booze in this, so a little dab will do you. Of course, depending on the day's requirements, a double could poured.

I was worried the addition of an orange liqueur and the sour mix might overwhelm the blood orange tequila, but it didn't. It seemed to draw the flavor out a little more, actually. Also, the color is pretty fantastic.

Blood Orange Margarita

1 oz Blood Orange infused silver tequila

1 oz orange liqueur

3/4 oz sour mix

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

Stir that together, then pour into a small rocks glass with ice.

Obviously, these are just two quick infusions that can be done with pretty minimal effort. One thing that's worth pointing out is that there is a tipping point with fruit infusions where the fruit will start to soak up so much of the alcohol the initial flavor and some of the alcohol content of the base will be lost. I usually strain out the fruit after no longer than two weeks.

Also, it often seems like a good idea to use the fruit in your infusion as a garnish for your drinks. But, give that a quick taste before serving it to guests. I've learned the hard way that the fruit can sometimes absorb so much of the alcohol that instead of boozy, tasty goodness, what's left is more like bits of tasteless, palette killing fire.

With spring just around the corner, loads more fresh fruits and herbs will be available and they're just waiting to give your first patio drinks a little boost. And, it's always satisfying as a host for your guests to get wide eyed and say "oooooo, it's infyoooosed!!".

Happy infusing! (And as always, drink and infuse responsibly. And leave the drinking for those over 21).

Jupiter Travels: OXO Tower Bar, London UK

For me, it's a given that a part of any travel experience has to be an attempt to find a good cocktail.

While on a recent trip to London for New Year's Eve, I discovered the OXO Tower Bar. What I found was not only one of the most fantastic views of London, but some of the most inventive cocktails I've ever encountered.

If you're going for a proper evening out, then it's probably a good idea to make a reservation. The lure of the view alone seems to get plenty of folks in every night. However, we managed to show up just before prime happy hour without a reservation and were given seats at the bar. Even though our backs were to the amazing wall of glass looking out onto the Thames, if you're at all interested in watching the crafting of your cocktail, I can't stress enough how much you should sit at the bar. Each drink took several minutes to get proportions right and flavors balanced and it ends up being quite the unintentional show.

From our seats at the bar, not only did we befriend a delightful girl from North Carolina, but we also struck up a chat with the bartender. What ensued was a little slice of heaven. I began my night by ordering a "Gothic Manhattan". The menu described the drink as "Woodford Reserve bourbon, stirred with Antica formula vermouth, Jerry Thomas bitters. Black licorice rinse. House-brandied cherry".  

I'll give you a moment to go re-read that. Amazing, right?

Our friend the bartender set to work making the drink right in front of me. I was immediately horrified, because he started making the drink with a different bourbon than the Woodford listed on the menu. Now, let it be known that I'm a fan of just about any bourbon, except one. My distaste for this particular bourbon is so high, that any time I order a drink, I eye the bartender just to be sure it isn't used. To my taste, it's awful. I'll be diplomatic and not name names, but it's a fairly common brand. Unfortunately, this was the bourbon he used to make the drink. (To his credit, he said the drink menu had just been revised and he was still getting accustomed to it). However, my look of horror was apparently obvious enough for him to ask why I was looking so scared.

This opened the door to a chat about my being from Kentucky, knowing my bourbon and about my love for crafting cocktails. After explaining my disdain for the bourbon he used by mistake (and him kindly offering to make a new one), I agreed to give the original drink he made a go. What I discovered is the first drink I've ever had with the Bourbon-That-Shan't-Be-Named that was not only palatable, but was fantastic. It no doubt tasted of the usual sour mash, caramel and citrus flavors that I love in bourbon, but it also had a depth and not-too-sweet sweetness that I've never found in any other drink. The sambuca (black licorice) rinse was there in the background, but not just hanging out. It balanced what could have been a case of too many things going on at once. I'll definitely be recreating this one at home.

After much more chatting with my new friend the bartender (and sadly, we never caught his name), he was gracious enough to let me try several of the other drinks he was making for various patrons. He'd leave a little in the bottom of the shaker or glass he was using to mix drinks in, and then he'd give me a taste of what he'd concocted. As you can imagine, these were the best leftovers of my life.

The two most notable were "At the Drive In" and "Due South". (See the link to OXO Tower Bar for a look at the menu and official drink descriptions). "At the Drive In" featured a butter infused Four Roses Bourbon to create a drink that managed to taste like liquified popcorn with a kick, while "Due South" was refreshingly light, yet with complex flavors that came to surface with each sip.

Four Roses Bourbon, butter infused

The view across the Thames from the terrace of the OXO Tower Bar. 

If I'm ever back in London, I'll certainly go back to the OXO Tower Bar. While the drinks aren't cheap (even by London standards), I'm not sure there's any other place in the City that could measure up to the caliber of cocktails or the experience and view. And look for some upcoming posts where I do my own take on some of the drinks featured on their menu.