High Flying Cocktails

Taking a page from the Roaring 1920s, and the years of bathtub gins and speakeasy culture, high-octane cocktails are making a comeback on bar menus across the country. While some speculate that the rise in popularity for 100 proof and higher could be the backlash from the “sober curious” movement, others believe the swing is in response to the pandemic and consumers’ desires for a much-needed indulgence, while getting the most for their bucks by making every drink count.

18-Carrot Gold Spring Cocktail

Carrot cocktail from Chef Emily Ellyn. Photo courtesy Emily Ellyn

Ingredients

5 fennel tops – fresh

1 slice (length of thumb) Fresh ginger – peeled

2 oz London Dry Gin

1/2 oz Goldwasser Danzig Liqueur or 2 dashes Dashfire Mission Fig & Fennel Bitters

1/2 oz lemon juice

2 oz carrot juice – fresh (or for more of a spicy zing, substitute carrot ginger Kombucha)

1/2 oz blood orange honey syrup (see recipe, next page)

Optional garnish: Dehydrated blood orange wheel, fennel fronds or small baby carrot

Candied Ginger Directions

Muddle fennel, ginger, and blood orange honey syrup in a cocktail shaker.

Add gin, lemon juice, and bitters. Add ice and shake until the cocktail shaker becomes frosty. Add the carrot juice or Kombucha and stir until well chilled.

Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice and garnish with dehydrated blood orange, fresh carrot or fennel fronds, and/or candied ginger.

Blood Orange Honey SyrupIn a small pan set to medium-high, heat a 2:1 ratio of honey to blood orange juice. Warm on the stove until it comes to a boil, stirring to combine.Tip: Dehydrate your own oranges for garnish. Wash and dry oranges and then slice very thin. Lay them flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a not-slip silicone mat. Dehydrate in the oven at 200° F for 3 hours, flipping halfway through for best results.

Mango Whiskey Smash

Mango Whiskey Smash. Photo courtesy Mango Board

Ingredients

2 T fresh mango cubes

6–8 mint leaves

2 oz whiskey

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

3/4 oz simple syrup

2 dashes cardamom bitters

Garnish

2–3 mango cubes

1 lemon wheel

1 mint sprig

Method

Measure all ingredients into a shaking tin.

Fill with ice and shake.

Double strain over a large ice cube into a 12 oz double Old Fashioned glass.

Express lemon peel over the drink and add mint. Garnish with skewered cubes.