Charentes Shrub

This recipe won the 2011 Imbibe Cover Cocktail Contest. It shows how you can creatively combine old and new ingredients—and even beer—for a modern cocktail that would make bartenders like Harry Craddock proud. There's some prep work involved, and you might have to seek out a few of the ingredients, but it's actually easy to make and well worth the effort.

1 ½ oz. rye whiskey
¾ oz. Earl Grey-infused Pineau des Charentes (Pineau des Charentes is a French aperitif available at well-stocked wine shops)
½ oz. rosemary-pineapple shrub
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
2 oz. IPA (Sierra Nevada works well)
Garnish: pineapple slice and rosemary sprig
Glass: Collins

Add all ingredients into shaker, except the IPA. Add ice and shake. Strain into an ice-filled glass, top with IPA and garnish.

Tea-infused Pineau des Charentes

Soak 1 Earl Grey teabag in half a 750 ml. bottle of Pineau for 1 ½ hours.

Rosemary-Pineapple Shrub

Slice a small pineapple, place in a jar and cover with cider vinegar. Infuse for 4 days, shaking once a day. Filter through cheesecloth and bring 6 ounces of pineapple vinegar to a boil with 5 ounces of superfine sugar. When sugar dissolves, skim off top layer and add 1 sprig of fresh rosemary. Boil for 10 minutes, remove from heat, filter and cool before bottling.

David Delaney, The Citizen Wine Bar, Worcester, Massachusetts

TAGS: