In this issue’s mini cocktail, the rye and jasmine liqueur complement each other like a match made in heaven. Lime tones down the sweet factor, and the touch of lavender in the bitters add a touch of complexity.
I developed this cocktail as part of my party plan which features everything mini, as in mini ingredients. Stay with the mini theme with your choice of glass: either a mini wine glass, mini martini glass, or cordial glass. Here are the details on the ingredients:
[1] Templeton Rye
Get ready to experience an exceptional spirit, born during the time when spirits were banned. Inspired by stories told by his uncle and grandfather, Scott Bush sought to resurrect the rye that his family was famous for making during prohibition time. Though the recipe was lost among his kin, he was able to track down a nearly 100-year-old recipe, handwritten on a small scrap of paper, through the Kerkhoffs, a rival bootlegging family. They joined forces and found a distiller who would honor the independent methods that created the legendary rye, and eventually built a distillery in the original town of Templeton, Iowa.
Today the Templeton Archive Project is currently documenting the lore of their product with interviews of the area’s oldest residents, preserving unique memories of the Prohibition era and the role it played in this small town. TASTING NOTES: hint of caramel, butterscotch, toffee and allspice. About $40. templetonrye.com
[2] Fruitlab Organic Jasmine Liqueur
Floral and exotic, this rich liqueur does a number with the rye, almost as if they were designed to be a couple. This liqueur is brought to you by the Greenbar Craft Distillery, who represent the world’s largest portfolio of organic spirits. Husband-and-wife team Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew began making spirits in 2004, and hooked up with local organic farmers, leading to award-winning spirits. They consider the environment with the packaging as well, with lightweight bottles and 100% recycled labels. A tree is planted for every bottle sold. About $30. greenbar.biz
[3] Junior Merino Cachaça Intesive Bitters Yuzu & Lavender
Just a couple of drops of this intense bitters will do the trick. Made with a base of cachaça it adds a light citrus with floral notes of French lavender. Keep it on hand to add not only to cocktails, but food—salad dressings, marinades, ceviche, soup, stew, desserts or seafood. $17. Junior Merino
[4] Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
Get out your juicer and a big batch of limes. If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend the Cuisinart Pulp Control Citrus Juicer. This baby gets every drop out of lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, and cleans up with just a rinse. Turning the top allow you to control how much pulp you want in your juice—none to every bit of pulp. About $30. amazon.com
[5] San Pellegrino Mineral Water
This cocktail gets an addition of water spawned from the earth. San Pellegrino flows from the foothills of the Italian Alps and surfaces as perfectly sparkling and naturally enriched with mineral salts. TASTING NOTES: The immediate impression on the taste buds is one of tingling freshness, followed by moderate acidity that stimulates salivation, while the high mineral content leaves a pleasant aftertaste. sanpellegrino.com
Check out our other recipes featuring mini ingredients in 13 Everything Mini
