Sage Infused Whiskey

Sage is one of the most popular herbs to cook with and is one of the more underused herbs used in cocktails. It has an earthy and pine-like flavor as well as an incredibly fragrant aroma. It even has a citrus quality to it. It's a great Fall herb to infuse your booze with. 

Sage Infused Whiskey recipe:

Makes 1 cup or 8 oz. 

• 1 cup of whiskey (I recommend rye whiskey, such as Rittenhouse or Bulleit)

• 6-8 leaves of fresh sage (washed)

• 1 clean mason jar

1. Combine ingredients in the mason jar. 

2. Gently shake jar daily.

3. Let infuse for 3 to 5 days. Taste daily until desired flavor is reached. 

Sage has a powerful aroma. Be careful not to over infuse. Taste early and often. The final flavor profile should have both sage and whiskey qualities. 

You can use this recipe with other spirits such as gin, vodka, tequila, or scotch.

Spiced Vanilla Bitters

Vanilla is one of my favorite flavors. I could eat vanilla on mostly anything. These bitters have a good spice component to them, so they have added depth. Use them in your favorite rum, brandy or whiskey drink.

Recipe adapted from Jesse Smith's homemade Vanilla bitters featured on Imbibe.View here.

Spiced Vanilla Bitters recipe:

Makes roughly 16 oz.

You will need 1 glass mason jar (sterilized).

• 2 cups of 100 proof/50% ABV vodka or white rum (Rittenhouse Rye can be used instead)

• 8 vanilla beans, split lengthwise (recommend Madagascar)

• 2 tsp gentian

• 1 tsp green cardamom pods, cracked

• 1 tbsp cocoa nibs

• 1 tbsp roasted barley

• 1 tsp black peppercorns, whole

• 2 small cinnamon sticks, whole or cracked

• 1 tsp clove, whole

• 1 tsp allspice, whole

• 1 star anise

You will also need:

• funnel

• cheesecloth

• blackstrap molasses

• Herbs can be bought online at http://www.dandelionbotanical.com/

1. Place all solid ingredients into the mason jar. 

2. Pour your vodka or rum over the solids and seal the jar tightly.

3. Place jar in cool, shaded location and agitate daily. 

4. After 2 weeks taste the bitters and check flavor level. If good enough, strain out the solids using cheesecloth. 

5. If need more time or more vanilla flavor, you can add a tsp of good vanilla extract or let the mixture sit for another week or two. 

6. Once the flavor is to your liking, strain out and discard the solids and add 1 to 2 ounces of blackstrap molasses to the mixture. Let sit for another 3 days.

7. When the flavors have married, bottle your bitters or store them in the original mason jar. 

8. If more flavor is wanted, you can add an Oak Spiral Aging stick (x2) for 1 month. They can be bought online at Amazon. 

Orange Saffron Bitters

I've probably made over 30 different types of homemade bitters over the last 3 years or so. This flavor has been one of my most successful. 

A familiar blend of bitters with a unique twist to use with gin, whiskey, brandy and rum based drinks. These bitters have great natural spice and tremendous depth to add complexity to any stirred drink.

Orange Saffron Bitters recipe:

Makes roughly 20 oz. 

To begin, get 2 large glass mason jars (sterilized). 

In 1 bottle (Flavoring), put:

• 1 cup vodka* (overproof)

• .5 tsp cloves (whole)

• .25 tsp allspice (whole)

• 1 tsp green cardamom pods (whole - cracked)

• peel from 1 large orange

• 1 tbsp dried orange peel

• 1 tsp dried lemon peel

• .5 tsp cinnamon chips (cassia)

• 1 tbsp saffron

• .5 tsp tellicherry peppercorns (whole)

• .25 tsp coriander seeds

In the 2nd bottle (Bittering), put:

• 1.5 cups of bourbon (overproof)

• 1 tsp gentian 

• 1 tsp quassia chips

• .5 tsp wormwood

You will also need: 

• cheesecloth

• Demerara simple syrup

• funnel

• Herbs can be bought online at http://www.dandelionbotanical.com/

1. Place all ingredients in corresponding jars.  Store in a cool, shaded place.

2. Turn the jars upside down daily or gently shake each jar.

3. After 7 days, taste bottle 1 (Flavoring). If desired flavor is reached, strain out solids and return mixture to bottle. Typically, 10 to 14 days are needed, but taste early and often.

4. After 10 days, strain out bottle 2 (Bittering) using cheesecloth and return mixture to original mason jar. 

5. When bottle 1 (Flavoring) is ready and strained, pour either bottle into the other to create 1 mixture.

6. Store in cool, shaded place and let mixture marry for another 7 days. 

7. Add 1 or 2 ounces (your preference) of Demerara simple syrup (not white sugar) to mixture. 

8. Store for another 5 days. Agitate daily. 

9. When done, strain one more time with cheesecloth and bottle your bitters or store in original mason jar. 

10. Bitters will keep indefinitely. 

*Note: Overproof white rum (Wray and Nephew) can also be used to impart more depth. Overproof is anything 100 proof or 50% ABV (or higher).

Cinnamon Simple Syrup

Cinnamon simple syrup is an incredibly versatile simple syrup. It can be used in many shaken drinks and also in some stirred drinks, like the Old Fashioned. This is a common simple syrup in my fridge and I highly recommend making a batch often. 

• 1 cup Demerara sugar

• 1 cup water

• 6 cinnamon sticks (3-4 inches long)

• pinch salt

Add your sugar, salt and water to a pot on the stove at medium-high heat. Stir to start the sugar dissolving process. Once the water starts to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and add your cinnamon sticks. Continue to stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat to low and let the cinnamon infuse for another 5 to 10 minutes without letting the sugar burn. Take the pot off the burner and let cool. Taste your syrup every hour until it reaches the desired taste. You can infused over night (8 hrs), if needed. Next, discard cinnamon sticks and strain the syrup into an air-tight container. Store in the refrigerator for 10 days.

Makes about 8 oz or 1 cup. 

Substitutions:

Demerara sugar: Superfine white sugar can be used instead. I prefer using Demerara or Turbinado sugar for most of my simple syrups as it adds more depth and flavor than the flavorless superfine sugar syrups. 

Cinnamon sticks: You can also crush the sticks to release more flavor or lightly toast the sticks for a "burnt" flavor. Canela cinnamon imparts the best flavor.

Coconut Cream Mix

Coconut can be a hit or miss flavor for some people. I love the taste of coconut, but I hate the shredded texture. This recipe for my house coconut cream is very palatable even for those of you who do not like coconut. It's also really easy to make. This is how I do it. 

First, hit up your local grocery store and get some coconut milk. Goya is my usual go-to, but any will be just fine. If they have coconut cream there (preferably Coco Lopez), get that too (Coco Lopez can also be found at any liquor store).  The next ingredient you will need is a Madagascar vanilla bean (split) or a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Make sure it's good stuff, not just flavoring. Lastly, I use 1821 Bitters Coconut and Lemongrass Tincture. This concoctions adds good additional flavoring and also a nice subtle Lemongrass note. You can use real Lemongrass here, but be warned that the natural Lemongrass has an intense flavor, so taste it early and often. You may want to take it out only after 5-10 minutes. 

House Coconut Cream recipe:

(makes roughly 16 to 18 ounces)

• 1 can of Coco Lopez or coconut cream

• 8-10 oz of coconut milk (I prefer to use Goya)

• 1 vanilla bean (split) or 1 teaspoon of good vanilla extract

• 2 drops of 1821 Bitters Coconut Lemongrass Tincture or 1 lemongrass stalk

Add coconut cream and coconut milk to pot on medium heat. Whisk ingredients until all or most clumps are gone. Add vanilla and lemongrass (tincture or herb). Stir gently until the it simmers and bring the heat down to low. Let the mixture reduce for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste, and when ready, let cool. Once cooled, bottle in an air tight jar or bottle. 

This mixture will keep up to a week in the fridge. You can add an ounce of vodka if you want to last a little longer. 

Be sure to label and mark the date the cream was made. 

Substitutions:

For coconut cream: Sure, Coco Lopez is a gelatinous, super sweet, mess, but it works perfectly here. Real coconut can be used, just blend the chunks until smooth, strain and add to pot and follow the directions above. If you go this route, you will need to add sugar too. 

For Coconut and Lemongrass tincture: A drop of coconut water (the good stuff) and real Lemongrass will work, but don't let the lemongrass infuse too long as a little can go a long way.

Tiki Simple Syrup

This simple syrup works nicely in all rum and tiki style drinks, particularly a daiquiri or Coco 'Deez' Nuts. You can also use this in other shaken drinks with bourbon, rye or gin. 

Tiki Simple Syrup recipe:

• 1 cup Demerara sugar (or Turbinado)

• 1 cup water

• 1 vanilla bean (split)

• 3-5 cloves (whole)

• 4-6 cinnamon sticks (at least 3 inches long)

• 1/3 cup mix of whole pecans and almonds, toasted

Add sugar and water to pot on medium heat and stir. Once the sugar starts to dissolve, add the rest of the ingredients and stir.  Once the sugar is dissolved, cook on low for at least 5 minutes on reduced heat, stirring often. Do not let the sugar boil. Next, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool with all the ingredients steeping for about an additional 10-15 minutes. When cooled, double strain into an air tight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Add an ounce of high proof rum for a little longer shelf life. 

The flavor profile should be predominately cinnamon with vanilla, spices and nuts on the back end. If not enough cinnamon, add more sticks and let steep for another 10 minutes. Also, an ounce or two of maple syrup can be added for more complexity. 

Makes roughly 8 ounces or 1 cup.

Substitutions:

Demerara sugar: I highly recommend the use of Demerara or Turbinado sugar. Do not use white or brown sugar here as they will impart little to no flavor. Demerara (or Turbinado) will add nice caramel and spice notes, which this syrup needs.