Welcome to Drinking the World; my thoughts on fine libations, special spirits, and fabulous cocktails. My name is Jonathan M. Forester and I'm a food & beverage writer / consultant, and formerly partner in a winery and brewery in Maine. Now, my new partner and I are currently in the process of starting an artisanal, farm distillery located on 370 acres in New York State called Dutch's Spirits. We will be specializing in premium, hand-made spirits. These will include bourbon, rye, and malt whiskey, peach and apple brandy, a variety of aged rum, gin, liqueurs, and cocktail bitters.
If the post is dated prior to December 13, 2008, it was previously published at Slashfood.com / AOL.com.
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Ginger Syrup
By Jonathan M. Forester on Aug 18, 2009 | In Cocktail Revolution, Syrups, Bitters, Tinctures, and Infusions
I like using ginger syrup in cocktails and sauces when cooking. Here's how I make mine.
Buy ten pounds of the freshest, youngest, firmest ginger that you can find in an Asian produce shop. In NYC's Flushing Chinatown I can get the best ginger for $0.99 a pound.
Cut the ginger into 1" chunks and run through a juicing machine. I use the Breville "Juice Fountain." You will end up with apx. a gallon/4 liters of fresh ginger juice.
Make a simple syrup with the juice by adding equal parts of sugar. In this case a gallon is 16 cups, so in a large pot mix the juice and 16 cups of cane sugar. This is apx. 7.25 lbs. or 3.3 kilos.
Stir gently and bring to a boil and immediately turn off heat. Carefully ladle hot syrup into sterilized canning jars to a half inch from the top. Put on the lids finger tight. Process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes. The syrup will keep for at least a year or two in the sealed jars. Once open store in the fridge where it will keep for several months. This will make around 5.5 quarts of ginger syrup.
Kampuchea Cooler
By Jonathan M. Forester on Aug 18, 2009 | In Cocktail Revolution, Cocktail Hour (Recipes)
With the temperature in the 90's I've been looking forward to cooler style cocktails in the evenings. Here's one I whipped up that reminds me of drinks I had in Cambodia. Kampuchea is another name for that country so I dub this the Kampuchea Cooler.
Kampuchea Cooler
2 oz Pusser's Rum
1 oz fresh Lemon juice
1 oz Ginger Syrup (Click here for recipe)
1 oz Bitter Lemon/Lime syrup (click here for recipe)
1.5 oz ripe, fresh Mango (I use the jarred Del Monte "SunFresh" Mango I get in the refrigerated section of the produce aisle)
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Muddle mango well. Add other ingredients and shake very well on ice. Strain into an ice filled Collins glass or other 12 oz glass. Top with 4-6 oz seltzer water and stir gently. Garnish with a slice of mango or lemon wheel.
