Three Ways: Flamed Cocktails
Part technique and part show, flaming cocktails have been dazzling drinkers for centuries. With an assist from high-ABV spirits, bartenders set beverages aflame to draw eyes and amuse, but to also impart a deeper flavor and caramelize sugars. Today’s renditions of incendiary mixology can present flaming rum atop shared tiki bowls, invoke warmth into holiday-accented coffee drinks, and add a smoky component to garnishes.
Kinnegad Sour
1 3/4 oz. Irish whiskey
3/4 oz. orgeat
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. Angostura bitters
1/4 oz. overproof rum
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
Tools: shaker, strainer, fine mesh strainer, match
Glass: coupe
To prepare the drink, make a spice blend by combining 1 tsp. each of ground allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and set aside. In a shaker, add 1 3/4 oz. of Irish whiskey, 3/4 oz. of orgeat, 3/4 oz. of fresh lime juice, and 1/2 oz. of Angostura bitters. Before adding ice to the shaker, add 1/4 oz. of overproof rum to a coupe and carefully ignite with a match. Sprinkle 1 tsp. of your spice blend over the flaming rum and watch the fireworks, then add ice to the shaker and shake well. Carefully double strain into the still-flaming glass to extinguish, and serve.
Jared Wegner, T.C. O’Leary’s, Portland, Oregon
Café Brûlot
15 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
1 lemon
1 orange
3 cups hot black coffee
4 oz. orange Curaçao
2 oz. brandy
2 Tbsp. sugar
Tools: copper Brûlot bowl or chafing dish, large ladle, long match
Glass: mug
Garnish: lemon peel
To make the drink, peel an orange halfway in a continuous curl, keeping it attached to the orange, and stud the curl with about 15 cloves evenly dispersed down the peel. In a copper Brûlot bowl or chafing dish, add the peel of one lemon and two cinnamon sticks, gently crushing them with the back of a large ladle, and place over medium heat. Fill the ladle with 2 oz. of brandy and 4 oz. of orange Curaçao, then carefully light it with a long match. Spear the orange on a large fork and hold it above the bowl, then slowly pour the flaming liquid over the orange, letting it flow into the bowl. Once the flames begin to fade, add 3 cups of hot black coffee and 2 Tbsp. of sugar, stirring to dissolve, then serve in a mug with a lemon peel.
Arnaud’s, New Orleans
Thermo
Ginger-infused vodka750ml vodka
1 cup finely chopped candied ginger
Spiced orgeat2 cups oat milk
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup whole cloves
3 cups hot black coffee
2 oz. vodka
2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. orange blossom water
Cocktail1 oz. candied ginger–infused vodka
1 oz. Stiggins’ Fancy pineapple rum
1 1/2 oz. spiced orgeat
1 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. overproof rum
Tools: shaker, strainer, long match
Glass: heat-safe pint glass
Garnish: pineapple frond, dehydrated lime wheel
To infuse the vodka, combine 1 cup of finely chopped candied ginger in a large jar with 750ml of vodka. Infuse overnight at room temperature, then strain and bottle for use within one month.
To make the orgeat, combine 2 cups of oat milk, 2 cups of white sugar, 1/4 cup of whole cloves, and 2 1/4 tsp. of ground cinnamon in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until it is dissolved. Let cool, then add 1 tsp. of orange blossom water and 2 oz. of vodka, and strain the mixture and bottle for use, keeping refrigerated for up to one month.
To mix the cocktail, add 1 oz. of candied ginger–infused vodka, 1 oz. of Stiggins’ Fancy pineapple rum, 1 1/2 oz. of spiced orgeat, 1 oz. of pineapple juice, and 1/2 oz. of fresh lime juice to an ice-filled shaker and shake well. Strain into a heat-safe pint glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a pineapple frond and place a dehydrated lime wheel atop the drink. Top with a 1/2 oz. float of overproof rum, then carefully ignite the rum with a long match, letting it burn for 10 seconds.
Hannah McKee, Con Alma, Pittsburgh
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