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.
January is a month of celebration, renewal, and fresh starts. Many find themselves rewriting routines, including going “dry” to welcome reprieve from the overindulgence the holidays tend to bring. To offer options for those curious to try something different, this month’s twist on the classic cocktail “Death in the afternoon” will be presented with ample modifications.
Featured Kentucky Product: Neeley Family Distillery Absinthe Verte (MSRP 69.99; 60.1% ABV)
Distilled on a restored 1890’s French absinthe still, this Kentucky made absinthe is produced at the Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta, Kentucky. The recipe is based on a Swiss classic dating back to 1871 and features a base constructed of quintuple pot distilled moonshine. With 11 generations of distilling experience in the Neeley family, it’s no surprise this product has received vast international recognition. Herbaceous and anise forward in flavor, this beautiful green liqueur blooms with a milky louche when diluted, bringing a beautiful pastel green hue to your glass.
Featured Kentucky Flora: Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine)
Also known as White Pine or Northern White Pine, these ancient and gentle giants have been found over 500 years old in some eastern United States areas and reaching over 200 feet tall. Their soft, long needles are easily discernible growing in bunches of 5. Aromatically, white pine is a standard for the season, but these beauties have greater gifts to offer than holiday decor. The needles can contain six times the vitamin C as orange juice and have been used medicinally to remedy sinus and respiratory infections, menstrual cramps, and improve circulation.
Early Afternoon Revival (zero alcohol)
1 oz White Pine Syrup, chilled 4 oz sparkling water, chilled
Afternoon Revival (low alcohol)
1 oz White Pine Syrup, chilled 4 oz dry sparkling wine, chilled
Late Afternoon Revival
1/2 oz White Pine Syrup, chilled 1/2 oz Neeley Family Distillery Absinthe Verte 4 oz dry sparkling wine, chilled
Directions for all variations: Combine ingredients in flute glass. Garnish with pine needles (optional).
White Pine Syrup
yields 8 oz 1 cup Fresh Pine Needles 1 cup hot water (not boiling) ½ cup sugar
Directions: Bring water to a boil then remove from heat. Add pine needles then allow to steep for at least 15 minutes, yielding a strong tea. Strain solids from liquid, add sugar, and warm if necessary to dissolve sugar while stirring. Be cautious to not boil the liquid in order to preserve the vitamin C content. Keep syrup refrigerated.
No cocktail required
White Pine syrup is a wintertime staple, especially when some extra doses of vitamin C can come very much in handy. The syrup for the aforementioned recipes uses water and granulated sugar, but works wonderfully with honey as an alternative to sweeten hot tea during cold and flu season. Simply use 1 cup honey + 1/2 cup strong white pine tea (as prepared in the original recipe).
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