Infused alcohol #2 - chile vodka. Goes great in a Bloody Mary, but another interesting idea is this crazy recipe I found in Bon Appetit. The infusion is straightforward, while making the drink is a bit more complicated. You have to muddle something.
If you're new to muddling, take a step and consider if you have the right equipment to make this drink. You need either a muddler (a mallet with raised ridges at the base to better mash up the ingredients) or a mortar and pestle. In a pinch you can use the back of a large spoon, but there's no fun in that. This could finally be your opportunity to buy new barware! Plus, you'll be able to make mojitos afterwards, which are always good.
One Night in Phuket
Bon Appetit, July 2012
Recipe by Lucky Strike in Portland
Makes 4
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 red or green Thai chile (I used a jalapeno but tried for a serrano), pierced with a knife
- Simple syrup from 4 tablespoons sugar, plus more sugar for glasses
- 4 limes, each cut into 4 wheels, plus 4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 40 cilantro leaves (about 1/2 cup) plus more for garnish
- 3/4 cup sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)
Combine vodka and chile in a jar and let stand, covered, for 2-24 hours (the longer it sits, the spicier it gets). I went with 6 hours, and it was plenty spicy. Discard chile.
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| Chile peppers + vodka = dangerously spicy drinks |
Now make your simple syrup. Don't worry - it's simple. Combine equal amounts (by volume) of sugar and water in a saucepan, in this case 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) of each. Heat over medium heat until dissolved, and allow to cool. Store in a squeeze bottle, or use immediately, as in this recipe. Once the sugar dissolves, you will have roughly 5 tbsp of mix total, but just assume that you should use 1/4 of the liquid for each drink you're making.
Place some sugar in a small flat dish. Run 1 lime wheel around rims of coupe glasses to moisten; reserve wheel. Dip rims into sugar to coat; set aside.
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| Run a lime wedge around the glass, then roll edge in sugar |
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| The sugar will stick to the rim, but only when you use something sticky first, such as the lime |
Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, muddle 4 lime wheels, 1 tbsp. simple syrup, and 10 cilantro leaves in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice. Add 2 tbsp. chile vodka, 3 tbsp. cream of coconut, and 1 tbsp. lime juice. Cover and shake vigorously 20 times. Strain into a prepared glass. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 cocktails. Garnish each glass with fresh cilantro leaves or lime wheels.
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| Muddle up all of the good stuff |
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| Now add coconut cream, vodka, and shake |
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| The drinks are rich and spicy, almost a meal in themselves |
