I’ve never been to The Rocky Mountains in Colorado, but I dream of snuggling up by the bonfire with a big wool blanket and a cocktail! We’re highlighting a toasty whiskey sour made by charring herbs and smoking maple syrup. It tastes like a cozy hug in a cup! If you want some delicious bonfire snacks, learn how to char herbs, and more, keep on reading!
Charring Herbs & Fruits
We’ve made many cocktails by gently charring rosemary for visual and sensory appeal as you bring the cocktail to your mouth. BUT! If you want to impart more flavor to your cocktail, char the herb (or fruit!) and give it a good muddle in the cocktail shaker. Perfect for the bonfire vibe!
First, let’s talk about what muddling is.
Muddling is a technique commonly used in mixology, particularly in cocktail making. It involves gently pressing or mashing ingredients, typically herbs, fruits, or spices, in the bottom of a glass or shaker to release their flavors and essential oils. This action helps to extract the desired flavors and aromas, which then infuse into the drink when other ingredients are added. Seriously, smell a sprig of rosemary and then muddle the rosemary and you’ll smell SO much of the true flavor shine through!
Here are some things you can muddle:
- Fresh herbs: Mint, basil, cilantro, and thyme are popular choices. We often muddle rosemary, like you’ll see in the cocktail at the end of the blog!
- Citrus fruits: Lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits can add brightness and acidity to your cocktails.
- Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries can impart sweetness and color.
- Sugar or simple syrup: Muddling sugar or simple syrup with other ingredients can help dissolve it more quickly and evenly in the cocktail. This is popular in an Old Fashioned- muddling sugar cubes with Angostura bitters!
- Spices: Ingredients like ginger, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves can add depth and complexity to your drinks.
- Vegetables: Cucumbers, bell peppers, and jalapeños can provide unique flavors and a refreshing twist to cocktails. Muddled jalapeno slices for a spicy margarita or paloma is a must!
If you need to add a muddler to your bar tools, here are some great ones! Stainless Steel Muddler, Wooden Muddler, Copper Muddler, and this funky shaped muddler! It’s SUPER important to double strain what you have muddled so you don’t get blueberry pieces or thyme leaves in your drink!
Next up, let’s talk about the charring of herbs and fruits as garnishes and before muddling! Charring herbs and fruits for a cocktail can add a unique and complex flavor profile to your drink. When you char these ingredients, you are essentially caramelizing their sugars and creating a smoky, slightly burnt flavor that can add depth and richness to your cocktail. The charring process can also release aromatic compounds, enhancing the overall aroma of the drink as you bring the cocktail up to your nose! Even slightly toasting lavender pieces floating on a lemon slice, like in this cocktail of ours, is a delicious way to enjoy your cocktail experience!
Charring the herbs and fruits is super easy to do. To char, grab your butane torch and put it on the lowest setting- you don’t want a gigantic flame! If it is a longer herb, you can hold the herb in the air (away from anything flammable!) and lightliy torch. If it is a fruit, you can skewer the fruit so it’s easier to char! Be careful not to burn them too much, as this can impart a bitter taste to your cocktail.
So, if you add the two of those methods together, imagine the flavor and aroma bomb that will go off in your mouth!! The charred rosemary for the cocktail we’re highlighting this week will create the perfect smoky, bonfire vibes your cocktail needs!
Bonfire Snacks!
Now, before we get into the highlighted cocktail for the bonfire, let’s have some snacks!!
We’ve all had the classic s’mores with a giant marshmallow and chocolate smooshed between two graham crackers. But, there are so many more ways to enjoy the s’mores flavors that you should definitely give a try!
My first favorite is the s’mores bonfire cones. Grab a waffle cone, roast your marshmallows and plop those into the cone. While those are still hot, add in chocolate chips throughout the cone and eat away like an ice cream cone! I actually just recently tried this method and it was delicious and no mess which was a plus!
Next, is making nachos- say whaaaat? Grab an aluminum foil pan and add graham crackers or even cinnamon chips, plop in your roasted marshmallows and chocolate chips and you’ve got a delicious and harmonious plate of dessert nachos!
Campfire strawberries- yum! Skewer a strawberry, dip the tip into marshmallow fluff, and then roast over the fire- a slightly healthier alternative to a classic s’more!
Rocky Mountain Whiskey Sour
Now, to the main event! Our roasty & toasty cocktail that is perfect for a bonfire, a mountain trip, or even if you’re just feeling like a cozy night in!
Start by grabbing a cocktail shaker. Char a sprig of rosemary with your torch and drop that in the bottom of the shaker. Muddle the rosemary to release those flavors and oils! Next, pour maple syrup into a shot glass or other glass and place your smoker on top of the maple syrup. Smoke the maple syrup and then add to the cocktail shaker, too. Finally, squeeze in lemon juice, add whiskey and ice. Shake this up!
Grab your rocks glass and add ice. Double-strain from the cocktail shaker into the glass! Place the Smokeshow Cocktail Smoker on top of the glass and smoke! Remove the smoker and add in a sprig of rosemary- give it a light char and enjoy!
Rocky Mountain Whiskey Sour
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker & Strainer
- 1 Cocktail Muddler
- 1 Butane Torch
- 1 Cocktail Smoker
Ingredients
Cocktail
- 3 oz whiskey
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1 oz smoked maple syrup smoke in a shot glass ahead of time!
- 1 charred and muddle rosemary sprig
Garnish & Smoke
- 1 pinch Rosemary Smoke Dust
- 1 charred rosemary sprig
Instructions
Cocktail
- Char a sprig of rosemary with your torch and drop that in the bottom of the shaker.
- Muddle the rosemary to release those flavors and oils
- Pour maple syrup into a shot glass or other glass and place your smoker on top of the maple syrup. Smoke the maple syrup and then add to the cocktail shaker, too
- Squeeze in lemon juice, add whiskey and ice. Shake this up!
- Grab your rocks glass and Double strain from the cocktail shaker into the glass
Garnish & Smoke
- Place the smoker on top of the glass, smoke, and remove. Add in another rosemary sprig and give it a light char!
