Bottega - Michael Chiarello [93]
12 big fresh basil leaves, plus 1 extra leaf for spanking
1 ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce Simple Syrup
1½ ounces House-Infused Cucumber Vodka (at right) or Hangar One vodka
½ ounce St.-Germain elderflower liqueur
In a cocktail shaker or a sturdy bar glass, muddle the 12 basil leaves with the lime juice and the simple syrup (see muddling tips). When the basil’s aroma becomes more pronounced, pour in the vodka and the liqueur. Strain and pour into a chilled martini glass, or pour the drink, leaves and all, into a chilled tumbler. Top with a fresh-spanked basil leaf.
House-Infused Cucumber Vodka
MAKES ABOUT 10 CUPS, ENOUGH FOR 4 DOZEN COCKTAILS
Infusing vodka with fresh cucumbers creates a cocktail ingredient that is so vibrant and refreshing, you’ll turn to it often for summer-time drinks. Michael Iglesias makes our house-infused vodka and keeps it in a large container in our walk-in refrigerator. Whenever he takes down the container to fill the bar bottles, people drift over and get close so they can get a good sniff. The smell is so enticing, it’s like aromatherapy—you almost want to put your face in it.
Infuse vodka in any large nonreactive container such as a gallon-size clean glass jar with a tight lid. Make sure the container you choose fits in your refrigerator.
8 cups vodka (two and a half 750-ml bottles)
1½ cups gin (half a 750-ml bottle)
Long strips of zest from ½ lemon, ½ lime, and ½ orange
2½ cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1-inch chunks
Combine all the ingredients in the desired container. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 days or up to 3 days. (After 3 days, the cucumber slices can turn slightly bitter.) Strain and discard the cucumber and zests. This blend will keep its garden-fresh flavor for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
BARTENDER’S NOTE: The great thing about this house-made vodka is you can refresh its flavor. Just peel, seed, and slice another 2 cucumbers and add them to the vodka. Let them infuse the vodka for 24 to 48 hours. Remove and discard the cucumbers. You’ll find your vodka has a fresh cucumber flavor once again.
Heirloom-Tomato Bloody Maria
MAKES 1 COCKTAIL
Yes, you can use canned tomato juice with this recipe in the winter, but I firmly believe in savoring Bloody Marys only when summer-kissed tomatoes are available. When the weather turns chilly, I shift to a Manhattan or a Negroni and enjoy summer drinks all the more when they’re in season. For those people who must have their Bloody Marys in midwinter, we buy an Italian passata that is as close as you can come to juicing fresh tomatoes. You can make your own fennel spice blend or buy it. (See Resources for the Calabrian chile paste, imported passata, and the spice blend.)
Ice cubes
1½ ounces House-Infused Cucumber Vodka
5 ounces heirloom tomato purée or Tomato Passata (see Note, below, or store-bought), chilled
1 demitasse spoon Calabrian chile paste or a few drops of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce
1 demitasse spoon sea salt, preferably gray salt
Lime wedge and Fennel Spice Blend (at right) for the glass rim
1 cucumber slice for garnish
1 fennel frond for garnish
In a heavy tumbler filled with ice, mix the cucumber vodka, tomato purée, chile paste, and salt; stir vigorously. Moisten the rim of a chilled glass with the lime wedge and dip in it in a saucer of the spice blend. Carefully add fresh ice to the rimmed glass and then strain the drink into it. (This makes the drink colder without diluting it.) Float the cucumber slice and the fennel frond on top of the drink.
Fennel Spice Blend
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
1 cup fennel seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons white peppercorns
3 tablespoons kosher salt
In a small skillet, toast the fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until light brown and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t let it get too brown. Remove from the heat and pour onto a plate to cool completely.
In a blender, combine the seed mixture and salt. (Don’t try to grind before they’re cool or the spices