By Jackie Zykan
With over 20 years of experience in beverage alcohol, and a love affair with the natural world, I am delighted to share some of Kentucky’s finest distilled spirits alongside fresh, local, and seasonal botanicals.
This month, we may find ourselves planning and delegating the tried and true recipes of years’ past and preparing for gatherings which push the seating capacities of our homes. There is something so sacred about the recipe traditions which we share in a community, whether that be among family or friends. Every now and then someone gets creative and introduces a twist on a classic. Sometimes it works and makes its way into the rotation every holiday. Sometimes we’re back to the original never to revisit, or mention, the modern version again. It seems fitting to pay tribute to those bold enough to break free of the cycle of canned cranberry sauce every now and then, and I can’t think of a more versatile classic to play with than the old fashioned. This season brings not only a focus on gratitude, time with loved ones, and chilly nights but also a touch more rain calling forward abundance in the forest for some of Kentucky’s best forageables: mushrooms.
Featured Kentucky Product: In The Curious Kitchen Chocolate Cocktail Bitters
In the Curious Kitchen is a female founded and led food company that produces Southern-inspired products based on heritage recipes.The queen of the brand, MK Hennigan, reimagines classics into fun modern twists and has you covered when it comes to home entertaining. Delicious cocktail mixers are only a slice of the world of MK, with products running the gamut from tasty small bites and accoutrement galore. This month’s featured cocktail recipe includes the chocolate bitters, curious in profile indeed with hints of spices and a warm undertone. These delightful droplets offer the perfect palate bridge between the earthy hints of turkey tail and dark sweetness of cherry and raw sugar.
Featured Kentucky Flora: Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail)
Plentiful on fallen trees and branches throughout our state, turkey tail is the most studied medicinal mushroom in the world. Known for its anti-cancer properties, this mushroom may not have the ideal texture for consumption- but as a powder, tea, or tincture, its benefits can still be enjoyed. Easily identifiable, these powerhouses are flat, fan-shaped, and grow directly from their woody substrate in clusters. The underside is white, with visible pores. “False turkey tail” can be confused with the real deal, but luckily is not harmful if consumed. With foraging, always double check what you’re identifying and only remove what you need.
Black Forest Old Fashioned
2 oz Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon ½ oz Cherry Turkey Tail Syrup* ½ Dropperful Curious Kitchen Chocolate Bitters
Directions: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain over fresh ice, garnish with skewered cherries and sage sprig.
Mocktail Variation
½ oz Cherry Turkey Tail Syrup 5 oz Sparkling Cider - or - Ginger Beer
Directions: Combine over ice, garnish with a lime.
Cherry Turkey Tail Syrup
yields 4 oz (8 cocktails) ¼ cup turkey tail ½ cup water ½ cup dark pitted cherries, thawed if frozen ¾ cup demerara sugar
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, then strain. Keep syrup refrigerated.
Batching Spirit Forward Cocktails
When it comes to preparing spirit forward cocktails for a crowd, simply multiplying the recipe and combining in a pitcher won’t cut it. Nor will stirring every single drink to order. Here are some easy pro tips for making sure each cocktail is consistently delicious, perfectly balanced, and you aren’t stuck playing bartender for your guests:
Dilution is crucial. Multiply the recipe according to how many servings you anticipate needing. Combine, then add one ounce of water for each serving. This provides the dilution that stirring otherwise would have. Keep this mixture cold, and when ready to serve simply pour over ice.
Quick math. A 750mL bottle has approximately 25 ounces of liquid. A liter has 33. A dash of bitters is 1/32 oz, and a dropperful is about 1 mL. In this recipe, half of a dropperful is called for per serving, which is a rough equivalent to a dash.
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