I recently posted review of Whiskey Cocktails by Warren Bobrow. This collection of cocktails gems can only be described as imaginative. I don’t know why Warren says this cocktail is a twist on the Arnold Palmer but he does: their only point of commonality is tea and even here the tea is jasmine and not “regular” tea.
The Arnold Palmer is iced tea and lemonade. No booze! Add some vodka, and you have a John Daly.
To provide a platform for whiskey, the regular tea is replace by jasmine tea. There is Ginger Honey Simple Syrup and some straight lemon juice instead of lemonade. Lots of adjustments but very, very beautiful to see. And to sip.
The ginger syrup is will not be subtle, but it will be delicious. Want to make it even more prominent? Warren suggests adding 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper in the recipe below. Feelilng brave? You could use adobo sauce, but go graciously.
Visionaria Cocktail
Yield: one portion
Ingredients:
- Ice made from strongly brewed jasmine tea
- 2 ounces (60 ml) Tennessee sipping whiskey
- 1 ounce (30 ml) lemon juice
- ½ ounce (15 ml) Ginger Honey Simple Syrup, recipe follows
- 2 ounces (60 ml) strongly brewed, cooled jasmine tea
- 1 ounce (30 ml) seltzer water
- Lemon pinwheels drizzled with a little Ginger Honey Simple Syrup
Preparation:
Add the jasmine tea ice to a tall Collins-style glass, and then add the whiskey. Top the whiskey with the lemon juice, and pour the chilled Ginger Honey Simple Syrup and cooled jasmine tea over the mixture. Finish with the seltzer water, and garnish with the syrupy lemon pinwheel. Then, just kick back and relax.
Ginger Honey Syrup
Yield: 1+ cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup freshly chopped ginger
Preparation:
In a saucepan, mix the water and sugar. Turn on the heat, bring to a boil while stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2-5 minutes, the longer the more golden.
Add the ginger, stir to mix, and let cool. Refrigerate for up to a month. Strain before using.
Source: Whiskey Cocktails by Warren Bobrow [Fair Winds, 2014]