We have spent the last few months diving into the production of spirits and how they differentiate slightly. Now that spring is around the corner, I thought it would be great to talk about how to “elevate” the profile of some of our spirits with the introduction of “Classic Cocktails.” Many classic or “craft” cocktails come from the prohibition era. Once the U.S. banned alcohol it didn’t stop people from making spirits in hideouts, basements, and even the back woods. Unfortunately, because most of these production systems were homemade and these home distillers had no experience, these spirits were awful to say the least. To make them drinkable they often added syrups, juices, and bitters (concentrated flavors.) Once prohibition lifted people now had good spirits to drink and it only made the cocktails better! So began the boom of the Craft Cocktail.
Craft Cocktails have resurged in recent years as a favorite of large and small communities alike. Much like the craft beer industry people’s curiosity has pushed the limits on creativity and flavor. It will be fun to dive into some of those later. Today we are focusing on the build/(recipe), ingredients and tools to make a proper cocktail. For an example today we are going to “build” a classic Bee’s Knees. The tools you will needs a jigger (measuring device), shakers (to mix the cocktail), hawthorn strainer (large strainer to keep ice back), and a tea strainer (to filter out juice pulp or small ice chips.) In this case we will use Gin as our base spirit and combine it with our, juice (in this case lemon), our syrup (in this case honey syrup), and lavender bitters (concentrated lavender flavor.) We will combine these ingredients in our shaking tins with ice and shake vigorously for 18 seconds. That will allow the drink to bind the ingredients together and have enough of the ice melt to tone down some the intense fresh lemon and honey. We will then separate the shakers, pitch the empty one in a sink, and in one hand use the hawthorn strainer over the shaker to drain and separate the cocktail from the ice and in the other hold the tea strainer over the glass to filter out any last pump or ice chips. Another important factor is the garnish. Not only can fresh fruit or herbs enhance the aroma of the cocktail it adds a desirable presentation affect. The cocktail experience is very similar to food, the taste is important but so is the presentation!! I hope you find this informative and fun! Below is the recipe and of course you can always swing into Timekeeper Distillery to try a professional cocktail. Our staff is always happy to chat and offer any advice.
Bee’s Kees cocktail Recipe:
2oz- Timekeeper Gin
1oz- Honey Syrup
3/5oz- lemon Juice
3-5 dashes- Lavender Bitters
Cheers!
Daniel J Weber
Head Distiller/ Owner