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September 16, 2011
The Brick Wall
Fall is here .... and (channeling Game of Thrones) winter is coming.
And tonight came a sure sign: we broke out the Brick Walls.
This cocktail is one of our fall favorites at Magnolia Grill, and it is one you can easily pour at home. (But do try it at Magnolia Grill as well, as a prelude or postscript to one of the best meals you have had in a long, long time.) A perfect marriage of bourbon, cider and autumnal spiciness, many an October evening we and our guests have enjoyed a couple of these on the porch after dinner. They are really a magical note for the season.
To begin with, make the syrup, which is easy enough. Combine:
2 cups apple cider
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 inch ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
5 allspice berries, cracked
4 whole cloves
in a sauce pot. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Steep off heat for 1 1/2 hours. Strain and retain liquid (discard solids). We usually keep the liquid in a glass jar and often make several portions of syrup (it will last for a couple of weeks in the fridge).
To make the cocktail:
Combine 2 parts syrup to 2 parts Woodford Reserve Bourbon in a glass. Fill with ice, top with gingerale (perhaps 1-1.5 parts) and garnish with a lime wedge and a thin granny smith apple slice.
Note: The recipe, as originally explained to me by the bartender at Magnolia Grill, proposed so many ounces of bourbon, syrup, etc. I give these proportions because I don't know how big your glasses are. The syrup is enough for perhaps 8-10 brick walls in the glasses shown above. I would not make vast amounts of syrup. It often does not taste as good after a few weeks. And besides, it is easy to make.
Posted by dag at September 16, 2011 8:30 PM