Twine and Mingle

Twine and Mingle was the first drink that I developed while working at Castle Hill Inn. If you would like to read the whole story, you can find it here. Now on to the recipe.

Twine & Mingle: yield one cocktail

2 oz. Chamomile infused rye ( see below)

1 oz. Honey Simple syrup

2 dashes bar made Saffron Bitters ( you can use any bitters that are to your liking)

1/2 oz. lemon juice

Method:

In a mixing glass, combine the rye, honey simple syrup, bitters, and lemon juice.
Add large ice cubes to the mixing glass to fill
Stir quickly till the mixing glass is chilled about 30 seconds
Using a Hawthorn strainer strain the cocktail over large fresh rocks (ice)
Garnish with fresh Chamomile flowers if you have them

Chamomile Rye: yield 750mL

25 grams Losse leaf Chamomile tea ( I prefer Harney and Son's tea due to the high quality the tea is)

750 mL ( one bottle) of Rittenhouse Rye

Method:

In a large glass container with a lid combine the Chamomile tea and Rittenhouse Rye
Tightly seal the container and allow it to infuse for at least four days at room temperature. I prefer infusing for at least a week to allow the full floral characteristics of the chamomile to develop.
Once the rye has rounded out in flavor with chamomile strain out the tea
Transfer into a clean airtight container, label, and date
Store at room temperature for up to two weeks

Saffron Bitters: yields 8 oz.

8 oz. Rittenhouse Rye

2 ea. Strips of orange peel

½ tsp. Cardamon, crushed and seeds removed from the pods

½ tsp. Cloves

1 ea. Cinnamon stick

1 ea. Star anise

¼ tsp. Saffron

½ tsp. Gentian root

Method:

Crush the cardamom pods to remove the small black seeds from the pods
Transfer the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, star anise to a small saute pan and toast till aromatic. I like to use low heat to prevent the spices from burning. If the spices burn they will be very bitter and affect the finished product negatively
Transfer the cooled spices into an airtight container
Add orange peel, saffron, gentian root, and rye to the container
Seal the container and give a good shake to mix all the ingredients
Allow infusing at room temperature for 7 to 10 days.
The bitters should have a little bit of spice and strong floral characteristics to them with a large amount of bitterness on the finish
Strain the bitters and store them in an airtight container for up to a month.
I like to keep my bitters in these bitter bottles.

Honey Simple Syrup: yields 8oz.

6 oz. wildflower honey

2 oz. boiling water

Method:

In a large container combine honey and boiling water
Gently stir the honey and water together until the honey has thinned out and is pourable
If the honey-water mixture is still too thick, add a little bit more boiling water. You do not want to add too much honey and water down the honey so much
Once the syrup is cooled transfer to an airtight container and store in refrigeration for up to a week