Harvest Cocktails
Often people ask me what inspires me when I create cocktails - - - and truly there are many factors, but the most common one is seasonality.
In the summer I think about light, refreshing drinks you can enjoy outside…..in the spring, my mind immediately goes to fresh herbs and flowers, and of course fall has its own special flavor profiles.
Where I live, in Ohio, we have 4 really distinct seasons. Fall is exceptional here, because the days are warm and the nights are cool and crisp- -but the best part is the vibrant changing colors of the leaves. If you are like me, as soon as fall begins you want your house to smell like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
All that being said, my mind goes straight to these smells and flavors during the month of October and that becomes my inspiration for cocktails. One of the things I love about rum is its versatility regardless of the season.
In the summer, a light rum is the perfect pairing with citrus and herbs for a thirst quenching mojito or daiquiri - - but in the fall a spiced rum can really work beautifully in a cocktail.
In last month’s article I wrote about infusions- - - - so keep in mind that you can go out and purchase a spiced rum or you can make your own!
Here are a couple of recipes for you to make during the month of October, including my favorite Halloween Punch.
Whether you are hosting a party or camped out at the front door handing out candy for trick or treaters, this punch will be a hit.
REDRUM
• 1750 ml bottle of House-made Spiced Mt. Gay Eclipse Rum (instructions below)
• 1 bottle Cointreau
• ½ Gallon POM pomegranate juice
• 1 ounce Angostura bitters
Mix well and place into a punch bowl. Chill for one hour prior to serving. When you are ready to serve pour in 1 liter of lemon lime soda (Sprite/7-up) and garnish with scary gummy candies floating in the punch. I like to use gummy spiders and worms!!
House-made Spiced Rum:
Pour the rum out of the bottle of Mt. Gay Eclipse into a large container. Add 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 pieces whole clove, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Allow to infuse for 48 hours, and remove the spices before adding to punch.
HARVEST RUM COCKTAIL
2 oz. Mt. Gay Black Barrel Rum
2 oz. Spiced Pumpkin Puree
2 dashes Fee Brother’s Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters
Shake these ingredients well with ice, strain into a martini glass and top with freshly grated nutmeg.
Spiced Pumpkin Puree:
Buy a can of pumpkin puree- - the canned stuff is perfect so there is no need to bake a pumpkin and do it yourself. These are typically already spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg so seek out that kind. Take 2 cups of brown baking sugar and 2 cups of water and place in a sauce pan on low heat. Add 2 cinnamon sticks and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the cinnamon sticks. In a separate container, pour in the pumpkin puree and then slowly add the brown sugar simple syrup mix until you have a syrup consistency. You now have a sweetened pumpkin puree, which will last 5 days in the refrigerator.
-Article written by Cris Dehlavi, The Muse of Mixology-
My name is Cris Dehlavi and I am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for the past 13 years with my daughter, Desi. I have been running the bar program at “M”, of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurant group since 2005. I am currently the President of Columbus USBG as well as a consultant for bars and restaurants nationally. In 2013, I attended the rigorous B.A.R. 5 Day Spirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the U.S.A. I am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bar tenders around Ohio. My contribution to "Got Rum?" magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry.