LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2023

Wood Working from page 191

OLDER FASHIONED This Old Fashioned variation infuses oaky fla vours into the drink. The slow cooker’s setting must stay well below the temperature at which alcohol vapourizes. WHAT YOU NEED Cheesecloth or a cloth turkey-stuffing bag Seasoned oak chips Bourbon Slow cooker Sugar Flavoured cocktail bitters such as chocolate or mole (see TIP, this page) BOURBON INFUSION For each 750-mL bottle of bourbon being infused, fill a cheesecloth pouch or bag with 1/3 lb (150 g or approximately 1 cup) whisky-­ seasoned wood chips and tie shut with butcher’s twine. Soak in water for at least three hours. Set slow cooker to “warm” (or a setting below 173°F/78°C). Set aside a 1-oz “control” tasting sample of bourbon. Add remaining bourbon to slow cooker and submerge wet bag(s) of wood chips. Cover pot tightly with foil and lid. Warm for 1 hour then spoon off a tasting sample; cool sample to room tempera ture and sip against control to judge flavour. For additional oak flavour, simmer for another hour. (Larger batches will take longer.) When desired flavour is reached, turn off slow cooker and cool liquid to room temperature with lid on. Gently press or squeeze wood chips to extract liquid, then discard bag. Strain bourbon through cheesecloth-lined fine sieve, squeezing cheesecloth to extract liquid, into mixing pitcher. COCKTAIL In mixing pitcher, to each one-bottle batch of wood-infused bourbon, add 3 oz simple syrup (recipe p. 245) and 10 dashes cocktail bitters (or more, to taste) and stir. Pour into individual tightly closed glass bottles for gifting. There will be a small amount of whisky that soaks into the wood, but each batch/bottle of bourbon yields about 26 oz, or 13 cocktails. Refrigerate bottled cocktail up to 30 days. To serve, pour 2 oz into an Old Fashioned glass over ice and garnish with a cherry or dehydrated or fresh orange wheel or zest.

WOOD-INFUSED FIVE POINTS This batch, oak-infused Manhattan riff incorporates the dilution the drink would get if stirred over ice before serving. Just chill the bottles, and it’s ready to gift and sip!

WHAT YOU NEED Seasoned oak chunks Large glass jar(s) 100 per cent rye whisky Red vermouth Cheesecloth

BARREL-AGED COUNT CAMILLO Note that the red-bitter flavour may dominate at barrel strength but will taste balanced after barrel-maturation and dilution of the aged cocktail. WHAT YOU NEED Oak mini-barrel (find at thecountycooperage. ca, bochart.ca, craftybartender.com, urbanbarrelcompany.com or amazon.ca and online cocktail retailers) Overproof (higher than 40 per cent alcohol by volume) London Dry gin Red bitter (such as Campari Aperitivo) Bianco vermouth Small glass jar Cheesecloth BARREL-AGED INFUSION Fill an 8-cup (2-L) oak mini-barrel with hot water and let sit for 3 to 5 days, so wood swells and barrel won’t leak. When ready to fill, empty water from barrel and rinse with clean water. In a large pitcher, mix one 750‑mL bottle each of gin and red bitter and add 3 cups (750 mL) ver mouth. Using a funnel, fill barrel with mixture, ensuring pour spout is turned to “off” position. Pour remaining mixture into a small glass jar with lid, to use as a control/tasting sample. Let sit in a cool, dark place for at least five days or up to one month, tasting every five days against control sample, until desired flavour is reached. Filter mixture through cheesecloth-lined sieve and pour into mixing pitcher. COCKTAIL In mixing pitcher, add 2 cups (500 mL) water to infused mixture and stir. Pour into individual tightly closed glass bottles for gifting. There will be a small amount of mixture that soaks into the wood, but each batch yields about 90 oz, or 30 cocktails. Refrigerate bottled cocktail up to 30 days. To serve, pour 3 oz into a lowball glass over ice and garnish with dehydrated or fresh orange wheel or zest.

Flavoured cocktail bitters such as Angostura orange or Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel-Aged or Black Walnut (see TIP) WHISKY-VERMOUTH INFUSION Soak 10 to 12 whisky-barrel seasoned wood chunks in water for at least 3 hours or overnight. In a large pitcher mix 1 bottle (750 mL/3 cups) 100 per cent rye whisky with 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) red vermouth. Pour 2 oz into a small glass jar with lid, as a control/tasting sample. Put 4 to 6 pre-soaked wood chunks into each of two wide-mouthed 4-cup (1-L) glass jars, and pour half the rye-vermouth mixture into each jar. Let rest for 24 hours or up to 72 hours, tasting every 24 hours until desired flavour is reached. Filter through cheesecloth-lined sieve into mixing pitcher. 12 dashes of cocktail bitters (or more to taste) to infused mixture and stir. Pour into individual tightly closed glass bottles for gifting. There will be a small amount of whisky that soaks into the wood, but each batch yields about 40 oz, or 16 cocktails. Refrigerate bottled cocktail up to 30 days. To serve, pour 2 oz into a chilled coupe or Martini glass and garnish with a cherry, or dehydrated or fresh orange wheel or zest. TIP Find a large selection of cocktail bitters at chapters.indigo.ca, thecraftybartender.com, alambika.ca, cocktailemporium.com and many gourmet shops. COCKTAIL In mixing pitcher, add 5 oz water and

240 FOOD & DRINK HOLIDAY 2023