Ulises Sanchez at 21 Fir Whiskey Bar and Kitchen in Uptown Waterloo creates a smooth seasonal sipper
Ulises Sanchez presents “Beet the Sour”
This cocktail was created with seasonal ingredients in mind, ones people can grow in their own gardens. Beets are harvested in the late summer and early fall. Along with the chance to create a drink with this amazing pinky-red colour, beets were an irresistible choice.
The edible flowers used as a garnish are easy to grow, too.
With a short list of ingredients this cocktail is simple to make.
The star of the show is the beet syrup. The syrup should taste sweet – but not too sweet – with hints of salt and pepper.
Up next is Eagle Rare, a full-bodied Kentucky whiskey with a slightly higher alcohol content than other bourbons.
Eagle Rare has beautiful tasting notes of vanilla, old leather and oak spices, such as caramel, cardamom and clove.
The whiskey breaks through the lemon juice and the syrup and says “I’m here.”
Eagle Rare is the perfect spirit to create sours and it’s affordable, $57.45 for a 750-millilitre bottle at the LCBO.
The meringue-type foam on this drink will hold for a long time. It is created by the combination of egg whites and lemon juice.
Be sure to use fresh-squeezed lemon juice, because store-bought juice is too acidic.
And, if you have the time, the lemon juice will taste best if you squeeze it four to eight hours before needed.
When mixing the egg whites and juice to create the foam, it is important to dry shake – meaning without ice – so you don’t dilute the drink.
The ice joins the party in the next step, when all of the ingredients come together in the shaker.
Beet the Sour
1 ½ ounces of Eagle Rare Straight Bourbon 1 ounce of beet syrup* ¾ ounces of fresh-squeezed lemon juice 1 egg white Angostura bitters Edible flowers Slice of fresh beet
1. Mix the lemon juice and egg white in a cocktail shaker, shake without ice for 10 seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients with ice and shake the mixture for another 15 seconds!
2. Strain into a coup glass and garnish with Angostura bitter drops on the foam, a flower and one beet slice.
Note: If you’re not a fan of egg whites, you can use chick-pea water (aquafaba) to create the foam. *BEET SYRUP
1. In a saucepan add one cup of sugar, one cup of water, one cup of organic beets cubed, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Simmer at a medium temperature for five to seven minutes. Strain the syrup and chill!