The best way to spread Christmas Cheer…
…is to drink cocktails!
To help get me into the Christmas Spirit (quite literally!) I decided to go for a festive drink somewhere new and stumbled upon what is perhaps one of the best bars in Seattle – the exquisite Penny Royalsituated in the Palladian Hotel.
The classic lounge was warm, cosy and busy, so I quickly claimed one of the few seats that was still available, but upon seeing the cocktail theatrics taking place behind the bar, I knew that I was going to have to forego the comfort of my chair for a front row stool at the bar.
The bar tender was a cocktail genius of extraordinary proportions, pouring flame-engulfed liquids and serving glasses smoldering with smoke. This King of Cocktails was Jacob Hise.
A cocktail mixologist from Tucson, Jacob’s passion is to push the boundaries of cocktail science, using smoke, fire and ice to conjure up cocktails of deliciously majestical proportions.
I was so impressed, I persuaded Jacob to let me post the below video of him in action, as well as to share his signature Smoke Infused Cocktail Recipe AND a recipe for his rather delicious Home-Made Vanilla Simple – thank you Jacob!
WARNING – the below video features some “adult” language – sorry!
Of course, there are obvious dangers involved with mixing cocktails in this way and it is definitely NOT for the faint-hearted, clumsy-handed, or anyone who is at all accident prone – so please be careful!
However, if playing with fire simply isn’t your thang, you can still serve a swishy looking cocktail. Simply pick up one of the many Ice Moulds we sell in the Arugula & Rocket Storeon Amazon – with King Size Ice Cube Moulds, Sphere Ice Moulds and Clear Ice Systems even a simple G&T can look like a professionally crafted work of art – and with Christmas just around the corner they will make the perfect Christmas Gift too!
Smoke Infusion Cocktail
Smoke Infusion Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 oz Tatoosh Rye (Seattle Distillate)
½ oz Genepi Des Alpes
½ oz Zucca Rabarbaro
¼ oz Green Chartruese
¼ oz Vanilla Simple Syrup
2 Dash Lime Bitters
2 Dash Orange Bitters
2 Dash Rhubarb Bitters
Citrus Rinds: Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit
Caffe Vita Espresso Beans
1 King Sized Ice Cube – Buy the Ice Mould
Instructions:
Place all ingredients, except the king ice cube and vanilla simple, into a pair of blue blazers.
Place the king ice cube and vanilla simple syrup into a tempered Cabernet glass.
Light the mixture in the blue blazers on fire. NOTE: Keep the liquid moving in order not to caramelize the sugars or burn out the liquor.
Transfer the fire liquid from vessel to vessel roughly 20 times to create a slow fusion or fused cocktail through a fast fusion or fire method.
Place the liquid fire into the Cabernet glass over the cube and seal the top of the glass with the blue blazer to create a fog and aromatic garnish!
Vanilla Simple Recipe
Ingredients:
2 Cups Water
2 Cups Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean
8 Star Anise
12 Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
10 Cardamom Pods
Instructions:
Bring the ingredients to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
Steep for 30 minutes and leave to cool.
Awesome recipe
It sounds delicious! I don’t often drink cocktails but I’d love to try this one.
He should put a splash of mezcal in there, and then it would taste smoky too.
That’s a great idea!