Happy 2017, friends! I hope you all had a safe, fun and upgraded New Year's. I, for one, am still playing catch-up. Plus, I'm four days behind on starting my resolution that I have yet to figure out.
I'm not gonna lie — I've been enjoying the holidays a little too much. So let's talk about a drink trend that I don't typically partake in: low-ABV cocktails.
Historically, it takes a beverage with a bit more oomph to turn me into Fun Chris. And, if we're being honest here, there's one scenario in particular that usually plays out, anyhow: "Damn, today sucked. *Reaches for bourbon, ice and a glass.* Cheers!" But my holiday imbibing has me itching to turn down, at least somewhat.
One of my celebratory New Year's drinks was the Blood Orange Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing Company. If you're not familiar with this German style of beer, it's typically sour, herbal and salty. The flavor profile of a gose lends itself to working great in cocktails, and Anderson Valley's is no exception.
As a citrus fruit, blood orange is a great complement to our cocktail's gin. We're using Boodles Mulberry Gin, which you should make a part of your bar, ASAP. (It can be added to any classic gin drink for a nice twist.) Throw in extra floral notes from the always-welcome St-Germain and you've got a simple cocktail that tastes anything but.
Makes 1
1 ounce Boodles Mulberry Gin
1/2 ounce St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 ounce fresh squeezed blood orange juice
3 dashes orange bitters
1 can Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add gin, St-Germain, blood orange juice and orange bitters. Shake until chilled. Fill a Collins glass with ice and strain in mixture from shaker. Top with Blood Orange Gose (which I found at Total Wine & More). Garnish with a blood orange wheel.
This article appears in Jan 5-12, 2017.