When I saw the box on my porch, I assumed it was another Christmas gift. The return address proved me wrong right away -- it was from Sub Rosa spirits in Oregon. I had been writing Mike Sherwood of Sub Rosa off and on for weeks, and was anxious to sample his infused vodkas. When I opened the package, I was impressed by the stylish motif on the labels and sleek, tall bottles they adorned -- one tarragon, one saffron. Dipping a toe in the (infused) water, I knocked out a couple of the tarragon recipes included in the box. I also poured the saffron vodka on the rocks. It was unlike any other infused vodka I have tasted, beginning with a peppery hit then morphing into a smooth saffron finish. (Apparently, I was not the only one who enjoyed it -- see the review at Slashfood.)
Having explored a few of the suggested recipes, I was ready to try my own. My goal was to showcase the sublime flavors so carefully imparted in the infusions -- I was concerned about overpowering them with assertive or saccharine ingredients. My first creation was a variation of a champagne cocktail that would be a bubbly canvas for the flavors of the tarragon vodka (turning out to be a stripped down verion of the Sub Rosa 76 recipe). Keeping with the secretive theme of Sub Rosa vodka, I named it the...
Confidential Champagne Cocktail
1/4 oz lemon juice
Dry champagne
Shake vodka and lemon juice with ice and strain into a champagne flute. Top with champagne and stir gently.
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