Lime Cordial

Version 1

Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly

Ingredients

3 cups 1:1 simple syrup
zest of 6 limes
1 oz lime juice
1/2 tsp citric acid

Directions

Blend simple syrup and lime zest, then strain. Add the lime juice and citric acid.

Version 2

Credit: Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Ingredients

250 g sugar
8 oz hot water
1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
3 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp citric acid

Directions

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend on medium speed for 30 seconds. Strain, bottle, and refrigerate.

Notes

Fantastic for adding multi-dimensional, balanced lime flavor.

Update

So, I found Morgenthaler’s version way too tart. When I mixed it with an equal amount of the Educated Barfly’s version, it was perfect. So, until I combine the recipe into one, for now, I’ll just recommend blending these versions together.

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Red Eye to Oaxaca

Credit: Barfaith

Ingredients

1 oz Montelobos Espadín Mezcal Joven
1 oz Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro
1 oz cold brew concentrate
orange peel and Luxardo cherry garnish

Directions

Shake and strain over a large rock of ice. Express the orange peel and garnish with the spent peel and cherry.

Notes

So, this was unexpectedly awesome. I say unexpected because I don’t much care for mezcal. However, the Montelobos is a good starter mezcal, and the smokiness of Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro pairs so well…and I do love my amari! We drank this the night before going on our first cruise (Dice Tower 2020!!) and all we had on hand was instant espresso but it still worked! Now we have some cold brew coffee concentrate from Trader Joe’s.

Update

This is best with Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s cold brew coffee concentrate.

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Cereal Milk

Credit: Momofuku

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups Corn Flakes
3 cups cold whole milk
3/4 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Toast the Corn Flakes on parchment paper at 300 degrees for 15 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool, then put them in a pitcher with the milk and cream. Let everything steep for 20 minutes at room temperature. Strain out the cereal, gently pressing on it to release any extra liquid, without pushing the cereal through the strainer. Add the brown sugar and salt to the strained milk.

Notes

So, this is so amazing. You make this hoping it meets your expectations, and it surpasses them. The toasted Corn Flakes come through strong, with just enough added sweetness from the brown sugar. I could sip this plain, but look forward to trying it in a milk punch. Turning this into ice cream would be pretty freaking awesome, or using it in eggnog. I made a 1/2 recipe, which yielded about 2 cups of liquid.

Update

I swapped out the cream for all whole milk, and it tastes even better I think. It’s more versatile since people could just have it straight or spiked.

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Cream of Coconut

Credit: Martin Cate, Smuggler’s Cove

Ingredients

13 1/2 oz Thai Kitchen coconut milk
13 1/2 oz 2:1 clear syrup
1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Blend contents of the can together to combine the coconut cream and liquid. Add the rich syrup, salt, and blend again.

Or…..

Open a can of Coco López cream of coconut. Blend contents together. Enjoy an exceptional Piña Colada.

Notes

So what I’ve learned from many experiments with cream of coconut, including trying different recipes, coconut milk brands, and techniques, is that to me, nothing compares to Coco López. The Smuggler’s Cove version—the best homemade cream of coconut—tastes like fragrant coconut syrup. However, the Coco López has the thicker consistency and richer taste of sweetened condensed coconut milk that’s just irreplaceable in mixed drinks.

Tip: to warm up Coco López from the fridge, place the container in a bowl of hot water for a 5-10 minutes.

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Mr. Bali Hai

Credit: Leandro DiMonriva, The Educated Barfly

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz dark Jamaican rum
1 oz white rum
3/4 oz Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
1 1/2 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz 2:1 demerara syrup

Directions

Shake and strain over crushed or pebble ice.

Notes

OMG. Sooooo good. Doesn’t taste strong at all! I used Patron XO Cafe for the coffee liqueur, but want to try it with Mr. Black’s. I also did a Luxardo cherry garnish since I don’t own a traditional Mr. Bali Hai mug, which has a skull cap. :-)

Update

The first time I made this drink I used Patron XO Cafe. This time I used Mr Black and it makes a difference. You can taste the coffee note much better, which somehow works perfectly with the rum and pineapple.

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