36%

36%

Thirty-six percent -- butterfat, that is. That's what separates heavy cream from all its dairy counterparts, at least those still in liquid form, and that's what makes it such a decadent ingredient for cocktails. After all, fat is the messenger of flavor.

Why did I select heavy cream for this round of MxMo, and its dairy theme? After all, egg white is much more in keeping with my recent listing towards experimenting with (little "o") old-fashioned cocktail methods. Yet heavy cream pervailed. Perhaps I was still basking in the unctuous comfort of the pot of mashed potatoes I made for dinner tonight. They had plenty of heavy cream, of course. Maybe I am still inspired by the joyous, fatty epicurean scenes from Julie and Julia and the magnifique French dinner meal I had afterwards. Or I could be overthinking it. Heavy cream just might be, quite simply, the heavyweight champion of dairy mixers.


Aside: I will admit to a disastrous evening of mixing buttermilk cocktails. Buttermilk is an irresistable temptation, really, to a Kentucky guy like myself. The results were complex, but not exactly palatable.

Regardless, cream is the theme, and I came up with two selections. The first is an idea that I have been dying to try for years -- an ice cream inspired cocktail. I have tried a couple of times before, but never shook up a drink to my satisfaction. This time was different. I backed off the hard liquor and focused on cordials, yielding a smooth, full taste. Too bad it all fell in place in September rather than July.



The second drink truly struck me out of the blue as I was looking for another low-octane option. I thought the earthy flavors of calvados and marsala would marry well, and turned that base into a fizz on a whim. The result took me full circle, reminding me of those frothy egg white cocktails as the other path I had considered for this round of MxMo.



Recipes follow. Cheers!

Ice Cream Shots

1 oz heavy cream
Splash of whole milk
1 oz liqueur

Use a base liqueur of your choice. Three nice options are Midori, chocoloate liqueur (I used Godiva) and equal parts peppermint scnapps and chocloate liqueur

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a small glass or large shot glass. The bottom of an ice cream cone makes an interesting and edible presentation.

Fall Fizz

1 1/2 oz calvados
1/2 oz marsala
1 oz cream
Club or lemon-lime soda

Shake calvados, marsala and cream together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with soda.
Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.