Ginger Cocktails

I had a fit of creativity last night and did some trials on cocktails influenced by the flavor of ginger. I had two ginger flavored ingredients to work with, a handmade ginger syrup and ginger brandy. I didn’t take pictures of anything, simply due to being tired after coming home from a two day leadership conference. I hope the drink recipes more than make up for it. Margot helped with sampling and giving names to the drinks.

Frootsie

2 parts hand-infused vanilla vodka
2 parts Ancient Fire 2009 Pear wine
1 part ginger syrup
Splash of lime juice

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake well and pour in a rocks/lowball glass. That combination of the vanilla, pear and ginger came together to taste like Frootises, the fruit flavored Tootsie rolls. It is very pleasant to drink with enough acidity to keep it crisp.

Ginger Lemonade

2 parts gin
1 part lemon juice
½ part dry vermouth
½ part ginger syrup

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake well and pour in a rocks/lowball glass. This is a very simple drink, but by no means unworthy, especially on a warm summer day. The gin and vermouth adds some herbal notes to a nice balance of lemon and ginger.

Watermelon Jolly Rancher

2 parts hand-infused cranberry vodka
2 parts club soda
½ part ginger syrup
¼ part lemon juice
Splash of lime juice
4 drips Angostura bitters

Mix vodka, syrup, and juices in a shaker with ice, shake well and pour in a rocks/lowball glass. Add bitters and give it a quick stir. Top off with the club soda. Margot really like this one and zeroed in on the flavor before I did. I am still amazed that this combination of flavors ended up tasting like a watermelon Jolly Rancher, but some of the best things in life are surprises! With a slight fizz and crispness from several of the ingredients we will definitely be making this for friends as soon as we can.

Spiced Pear

1 part vodka
¾ part amaretto
1 part pear wine
½ part ginger brandy
1/8 part agave syrup
1/8 part molasses
Dash of cinnamon
Dash of cloves
Dash of allspice

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake well and pour in a rocks/lowball glass. This drink has a lot of complexity with the rich flavors and tastes like spiced pears common around Christmas in New England. It isn’t a drink I would go to regularly, but that says nothing about how good it is. It might even be better slightly warmed in the middle of a cold and dark winter.

Ginger Sazerac

2 parts bourbon
1 part ginger syrup
4 drips Angostura bitters

Combine ingredients in a rocks/lowball glass over ice and give it a gentle stir. I saved a spin on a classic, and one of my favorite styles of drink, for last. The ginger flavor comes through well and meets up with the smoky, woody flavors in the bourbon to create a rustic feel. I could sip on these for hours!!

One thing I have yet to experiment with is ginger liqueur, like Domaine de Canton, and the drinks above make me think I might be missing a versatile bottle in my bar. Something for next time.

Cheers!

--Jason