Smoke and Maple Cocktail
I’ve been back and forth to my mom’s house in the local mountains lately, working on some big yet-to-be-announced projects. And yes. We sometimes bring our chickens with us to her house so that we don’t have to have someone watch them while we’re gone. WHAT. This is perfectly normal behavior, ok?
I have always loved being at my mom’s in the fall, because even though we’re still in Southern California, she gets actual seasons where she is (unlike the rest of us Los Angeles lowlanders). I’m absolutely living for the autumn chill in the woodsmokey air, and all the gorgeous changing leaves.
SO I CHANNELED ALL MY FEELINGS INTO A COCKTAIL CUZ THAT’S HOW I DO.
SMOKE AND MAPLE COCKTAIL
Makes 1 serving.
Ingredients:
2 oz. scotch
2 oz. blood orange juice
1 oz. Cynar
.5 oz. lemon juice
.5 oz. maple syrup
1 fresh maple leaf to smoke the glass with
1 fresh maple leaf + 1 blood orange wheel to garnish
To smoke the glass: PLEASE DO THIS CAUTIOUSLY AND DO NOT BURN DOWN YOUR HOUSE. K, THANKS. You’ll need a lighter, a fresh maple leaf, your cocktail glass, and a small plate. Place the small plate in your kitchen sink, light the edge of the maple leaf (it should only smolder and not really catch fire if it is fresh), quickly place the smoldering leaf on the small plate and then place your cocktail glass over it upside down to trap the smoke while you prepare the cocktail.
To make the cocktail: in a shaker with ice, combine scotch, blood orange juice, Cynar, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Shake until chilled. Fill your smoked glass with ice and strain the cocktail into it. Garnish with either a fresh maple leaf or your extinguished smokey one, and a slice of blood orange.
BTW…my mom really loves it when I put a Parsnip on her kitchen counter for a photoshoot. But whattayagunnado. The kitchen window is where the best fall foliage view is.
Product Sources & Tools:
MCM Pheasant Rocks Glass (vintage find, but here are similar ones).