A Local Recipe Curation | Cocktails + Hot Sauce
We feel lucky to know some pretty phenomenal local chefs and bartenders that are always up for a creative pursuit when it comes to crafting unique and thoughtful recipes using our pantry items. rose gold honey to probiotic vinaigrette and just date syrup, we’ve tasted some pretty epic beverages and treats and leave you with a couple more to add to your post-holiday (or continued festivities) lineup.
Tim Quinn, local bartender at the new restaurant Aloi in Scott’s Addition, has been a fan of our bitters for quite some time — forever experimenting with them to craft seasonal cocktails for special events at Boketto. Featured on Aloi’s cocktail menu is the Mindful Martinez, an elevated version of a classic incorporating for an experience that’s moderately bitter, moderately sweet, aromatic, and booze-forward.
The Mindful Martinez
.75oz of Cocchi Torino Red Vermouth
.75oz Punt e Mes Red Vermouth
1.5oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
Stirred about 30 times in a mixing glass to proper dilution and poured into your favorite Nick and Nora cocktail glass…or any preferred cocktail glass. One twist of lemon for garnish.
Olivia Wilson, Pastry Chef at Chairlift and Brenner Pass, has been keeping us on our toes with her creative iterations, including chocolate dipped rose gold honeycomb. While something as simple as her freshly baked sourdough and a good quality olive oil is enough, we always love to keep tabs on what she’s got up her sleeve next. This time around, it’s a spin on fermented hot sauce with the addition of date syrup from our pantry — to give it that subtle hit of sweet against those spicy hot peppers.
Fermented Hot Sauce
1 ½ lbs sarit peppers
½ lb trinidad perfume peppers
1 head garlic
3 T kosher salt
1 T turmeric
1 qt warm water
2 T Just Date Syrup
Equipment needed: gallon size glass jar with tight fitting lid, gloves
Remove the stems from the peppers and chop into a rough dice, doesn’t need to be perfect. Peel and rough chop garlic. Pack peppers and garlic into jar. Make a brine with the warm water, turmeric and salt. Pour over peppers and garlic, weigh down a heavy plate and screw on lid. Leave in a dark spot at room temperature for 2-3 weeks, depending on how funky you want it to be. After fermentation time, in batches, blend on high speed in blender with date syrup until smooth. Taste, adjust seasonings and store in an airtight container in the fridge or can them to be shelf stable.
If these peppers are too hard to find, some good alternatives are Fresno, Thai Dragon, Pasilla or cayenne or whatever is available at your farmers market. If you can find them, Aji Dulce peppers have a nice sweet floral flavor and compliment very hot peppers.