Fall Notes: Infusions.

Some Important Notes for the Fall Season…
From Rick of The Private Professionals

I hope you've had a great summer!  It seems that the weather turned on a dime this year & the fun fall season arrived in a hurry. Personally, it's turning out to be a REALLY busy time for me, but I wanted to take a few minutes to say hi & pass along some important news.  I've got two quick but important notes, some fun news for the end of the month, & something more frivolous just for the heck of it…  

First & foremost, I want to let you know about the new websites (bigger, better & much more informative)... 

The Private Professionals:  Offering the very best in bartending, food service, & private party assistance. Currently available for literally any venue & every type of party anywhere in the DC, MD, & N.Va. regions (also with limited availability now in Baltimore!).  For more info:  http://www.theprivateprofessionals.com/

And now for something fun & frivolous (but really tasty!)…

First, a fun recipe for Halloween. I stole this from Martha Stewart & tweaked it a bit to make it my own (yea, sure - I'll admit to it).  ;-)  Call it what you like, I think the official name is a "Scary Berry Martini."  My version is The Black Night. The drink uses Black Vodka; it's fun stuff - looks black but tastes just like any other mid-grade vodka. '

The Black Night: 

1 ¼ shot (5ct) Black Vodka (just check your liquor store).

¼ to ½ shot (1-2ct) Blue Curacao.

Finish w/ a little Cherry Juice, a light dash of margarita mix, & squeeze of lemon.

Shake hard & serve up as a Martini (it looks deathly black but tastes smooth & easy).

Okay, on to the good stuff…

Here's something fun, but elegant & delicious all the same time. It makes for a great conversation piece while offering your guests something truly stylish & unique. It also makes a GREAT holiday gift for loved ones.

Some time ago a friend turned me on to the craft of homemade cordials & infusions. I guess the mad scientist in me took hold because I've been experimenting ever since. Over time, I've gotten it down & I've actually come up with some REALLY good stuff. I have to tell you that you can't find this commercially. It's a truly unique product & will add some serious depth & diversity to your bar. It's also fun to play with & really quite easy to make.

Mind you, what I'm talking about here are "Infusions" - not home brewing or anything that would come even close to a distillation process. I once heard it correctly described as more like steeping tea than anything else. It's a simple process to infuse alcohol with fruit or herbal flavor, it just takes some patience. So next time you entertain, try making some select infusions or cordials & offer your guests something more intriguing than a martini.

For ALL infusions, there are a few basic principals to follow…

First, you'll obviously be working with a base alcohol. You certainly don't need a top shelf brand, but get a good mid-grade label with a flavor you generally like.

You'll also need some non-reactive aging jars.  I use the wide-mouth glass gallon-size jars you usually use to make sun tea.

After your infusion is ready you'll need to strain out any fruit & sediment. I use a simple method that triple strains the cordial. First I use a basic colander to separate the big pieces (these I mash up to get out the pure nectar in the actual fruit, but I then strain them separately for this will also have the most pulp). Then I re-filter the liqueur through a fine mesh strainer. Finally, to remove the finer particles I triple-layer the mesh strainer with cheesecloth & run it through again. The cloths may be rinsed & reused as needed. Some people say to use coffee filters but I can assure that this doesn't work & only makes a horrid mess

After straining, place the cordial on a level surface to allow the fine particles to settle for about 2-3 weeks. Once the liqueur clarifies, use a long piece of plastic tubing to carefully siphon off the clear liquid into a second container. Repeat as necessary.

Understand that the recipes NEED some time to age.  After the infusion is done don't freak out. At this point the taste will be nothing spectacular, but you'll be AMAZED at how the flavor mellows & changes with time. So transfer your liqueur into some decorative bottles with sealed lids & allow them to age for at least 2-3 months (the longer the better, no less than 30-days).

If properly sealed & stored, your cordials will keep for about 2-3 years. Well, they may keep, but I guarantee they won't last that long!  Here are some of my favorites…

Peach Infused Bourbon / Liqueur (my #1 pick!):

Makes about 1.5 liters:  you can of course do it in batches of 750ml (1 fifth)….   

     Be sure to pick peaches at their peak of sweetness - this is the key.

     8-12 Ripe Juicy Peaches.
     1 liter Bottle of a good Mid-Grade Bourbon or Brandy.
     3 strips Lemon zest.
     1 C. Sugar.   

Peel, pit, & slice the peaches. Place in saucepan, add sugar, & stir well to combine.
Warm over low heat until sugar is well dissolved & peaches are juicy.

Place peach mixture in aging container; add lemon peel, & bourbon (stirring to combine).
Cover container & put in a cool, dark place (refrigerate if necessary).
Let stand for about 3 weeks (occasionally stirring).

After 1^st aging, strain the mixture through a wire colander, pressing out extra liqueur in peaches.
       - Reserve peach pulp for Peach Preserves or to use in other recipes (see below).
Re-strain through a fine wire strainer, then a third time lined w/ a triple layer of cheese cloth.

Allow to settle for about 3 weeks or until clarified.
Carefully siphon off the clear liqueur being careful to avoid any sediment.
Bottle and cap as desired (Don't freak out - the taste will vastly improve w/ a little aging).

At this point you'll have a very nice Peach Cordial. However, I usually split the liqueur into to separate bottles. One I keep as a Cordial. With the second I re-blend a bottle (750ml) of good grade bourbon back into the original liqueur - I usually use something like Jim Beam Black. This makes a really good Peach Infused Bourbon.

Allow to age for 30-60 days - you'll be amazed at how much this 2^nd aging will transform the finished product.  Now you have a perfect balance of substance, character, depth, & sweetness.

Drink straight up as a cordial.  Also great over pound cake.

Bourbon & Peach Preserves:

Don't discard the peaches once you're done with the infusion! Rather, give them a quick twirl in a food processor. Then, in a large saucepan, add this mixture to about 2 cups of sugar & 1 cup of water over a medium heat. Stirring frequently, cook it down until you have a thick heavy sauce. Allow to cool & place to mason jars as a preserve (fear not, all the alcohol cooks off).  

The Infused Cosmopolitan:

I'll admit it, I like a good Cosmo. It's smooth & easy going down. But hey, don't let the pink fool ya - this stuff is a martini strength drink that'll sneak up on you if you aren't careful. So again, the mad-scientist in me experimented a bit & has now created The Infused Cosmopolitan! This is awesome for the holidays.

Ready in about 3 months.  Makes about 1.5 Liters.

   6-8 Sweet Juicy Oranges.                   1 Bag of Fresh Cranberries.         
   1 Liter Vodka.                                    2 strips lemon peel
   1/2 C. sugar                             

Peel the oranges, making sure they don't have any white pith (this is very bitter & will ruin the infusion).
Place in saucepan, add sugar, & stir over low heat until sugar is well dissolved.

Place orange mixture in aging container; add lemon peel, & Vodka (stirring to combine). Cover container & put in a cool, dark place (refrigerate if necessary). Let stand for about 3 weeks (occasionally stirring).

After 1^st aging, strain the mixture through a wire colander, pressing out extra liqueur in oranges.
Re-strain through a fine wire strainer, then a third time lined w/ a triple layer of cheese cloth.

Allow to settle for about 3 weeks or until clarified.
Carefully siphon off the clear liqueur being careful to avoid any sediment.

Take 1 bag of fresh cranberries & make a quick cut in each just to break the skin. Place your orange infusion back into the aging container & add your split cranberries. Let stand for another 2 weeks.  Adjust level of sweetness to desired taste (but not too sweet!).

Strain off cranberries (just a fine wire mesh should be fine as there will be almost no pulp).
Bottle & cap in sealed decorative bottles or decanters. Allow to age for 30-60 days - this 2^nd aging will transform the finished product. 

To serve, just add a splash of sweet & sour mix & shake. Serve up as a martini.

The Stoli-Dollie:

A house specialty at Capital Grille & I include it because it's a personal favorite of a very good friend of mine. But in truth, it's probably the simplest infusion there is to make…

Ready in about 3 months.  Makes about 1.5 Liters.

   1-2 Fresh Pineapples cut & cored.         
   1 Liter Vodka (you may want to use something in line w/ Stoli).  
   ½ to ¾ C. Sugar                                   

It's perfectly fine to get the pre-cut fresh pineapple w/ juice that you find at Safeway or Whole Foods (actually, it saves a lot of work). Just cut the pineapple into basically bite size chunks.
Place in saucepan, add sugar, & stir over low heat until sugar is well dissolved.

Place Pineapple mixture in aging container & add Vodka (stirring to combine).
Cover container & put in a cool, dark place (refrigerate if necessary).
Let stand for about 3 weeks (occasionally stirring).

After 1^st aging, strain the mixture through a wire colander, pressing out extra liqueur in pineapple.
Re-strain through a fine wire strainer, then a third time lined w/ a triple layer of cheese cloth.

Allow to settle for about 3 weeks or until clarified.
Carefully siphon off the clear liqueur being careful to avoid any sediment.

Bottle & cap in sealed decorative bottles or decanters.

Allow to age for 30-60 days - this 2^nd aging will transform the finished product. 

To serve, just shake with ice & serve up as a martini.

One final bonus…

Classic Italian Limoncello:

Limoncello is a classic Italian liqueur that's considered a national trademark. Families & private establishments often pass down individual recipes for generations. Served straight up, well chilled, it makes a perfect after dinner drink, a summer aperitif, or is often used as a palate cleanser. It also blends well with champagne & goes well over ice cream, fruit, or is used to moisten cakes.

I used a classic recipe but personally found my first attempt to be way too sweet for my taste. I'm going to tweak things a bit & see how it turns out. In the meantime, here are some good sites for the recipe if you'd like to try it on your own & get back to me…

Vino e Vittles:  http://vinoevittles.blogspot.com/2006/03/limoncello-recipe.html

What's Cooking America:  http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beverage/Limoncello.htm

Patty Vox:  http://patty.vox.com/library/post/homemade-limoncello-when-life-gives-you-lemons.html

I hope life finds you happy, healthy, & prosperous in all that you hope to be.

Rick D.~

The Private Pro's.