An Apple a Day...

Much to my hearts dismay, and a lot of fans, good cooking pumpkins wouldn't be ready in our area for a few weeks. I had to shift tracks from our original pumpkin spice tequila to another fall treat. So what else goes well with a hearty meal than some old fashioned apple pie! After scouting our local selection of apples, I decided on a mix of breburn and granny smith to give it a balanced flavor. I then let it marinate with a satchel of spices; clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peal, and all spice. The resulting liquor had a tangy warm flavor that made us very happy! For the cocktail we shook it with tres leches liquor (creamy and hints of vanilla and cinnamon), and cinnamon Kahlua. I won't speak to its ability to keep medical professionals at bay but it is a great drink to celebrate the start of winter!

Like a red-haired step child...

Even though the weather isn't cooperating, Fall is still upon us. The leaves are starting to color and our local fresh fruit supplies are dwindling. This is the season I live for. Pumpkin beers are in full bloom and the culinary world takes a turn towards the more robust and hearty side. To celebrate that we have created a new infusion for this month. Well there were a few failed attempts the first round (rosemary goes bitter in tequila - fun fact) but a clear winner has emerged. One delicious fruit that comes around this end of the season is the wonderful black cherry. Sour and just the slightest bit of sweetness, they make the perfect fruit for the transition. The fall season also has a crispness that we thought would be wonderful to embody in the drink. Many attempts were made with orange peels, grapefruit, and herbs but one root complimented the infusion so well we had no other choice. ginger. Originally from south Asia, it has made it's way to the Caribbean and our hearts. I for one am in love with a good ginger beer with some spicy food and with the tartness of the cherries, it was a perfect match. I did two separate infusions with fresh ginger root and another with the painstakingly hand pitted cherries. While the ginger infused with in a few days, the fruit took about two weeks and was still missing something. More (delicious) trials were conducted and we agreed on Guajillo peppers. With a tiny amount of heat, but a amazing overtone of berry and smoke the pepper rounded out all the flavors perfectly. Our next margarita was born! Make sure to stop by this month to try it out and taste for yourself.

Sample infusions

Large batch of the cherry and guajillo

Large batch of ginger (smells so good!!)

The delicious final margarita!

-Peter

A delving into the smokey mist

      There are a lot of things I have done to tequila over the years. We've mixed it with fruit, infused it with peppers, and just drank a lot of it straight. As some of our regulars know, our favorite channel to show here is the FoodNetwork. They have a lot of delicious things being shown and some ideas may get worked into our restaurant specials or at least my own culinary adventures at home. A few months back, they started running shows featuring spring time dishes. Mouth watering fish and fun mojito variations flooded the episodes of our favorite cooks. One in particular made me stop, prosciutto wrapped melon. This simple pairing, of which i immediately went home and tried, was heart stopping good. Smokey, sweet, salty, juicy all in one bite. A very rare combination that is reserved for expensive salted caramels! In our previous adventure with bacon tequila, there is this smokey quality that comes from the wood that adds an amazing flavor. After a quick search, I found a company down in Kentucky (BOYB) that sells bourbon wood chips. I snatched up a sampling in every toasting they offered and went to work. 

      As it was nearing the end of the month, and most infusions take a few weeks, I went with a forced infusion.This involves one of those ISI Whips like the one you see at your local coffee shops. Throw in some tequila and medium toast French oak wood (a 4:1 ratio) and you're good to go! I added two charges of NO2, shook carefully and let set out. What's going on inside is the massive pressure is forcing the tequila into the wood, making everything infuse a lot faster than it would just sitting in a barrel somewhere. Twelve hours later, I released the pressure and VOILA! Once strained the resulting tequila is very pungent. It has a deep smokey flavor and a coffee like nose. I think on it's own its not the best thing to drink in larger quantities so I use it as a seed for the new infusion. The next step would be to add some more smoke and vanilla flavors that would go well with melon. For that I turned to American white oak, and charred them. Make sure if you're charring to have as little air around the wood as possible, as they will just catch on fire and turn ash. Definitely bad eats. I just wrapped mine in foil and tossed them around on the stove till they smoked for a while and it smelled like a great camping trip. 

       Now to assemble, Take your infusion jar and lay down slices of cantaloupe, you want them pretty thin so there's lots of surface area. Than add your wood infused tequila and fill with plain blanco tequila (1:10 for those keeping score). Top with your charred chips (the little black squares in the picture) and let sit. You want to keep the fruit submerged as much as possible as it might go bad being exposed to air for too long. In a week you will be rewarded for your patience. The melon is musky and delicious and there's barely a hint of alcohol! We hope you come in and try this delicious tequila and maybe a margarita made from it! Happy Mixing!!! -Peter