COCKTAIL CLUB
Peat and Sour
June 2021
Where the love of mixology and good music combine
The Whiskey Sour, like an Old Fashioned, is a very popular cocktail among whiskey lovers. Here, I remove the “e” from whiskey, and jack up the peat, fire, and band aids for an entirely different flavor profile than what most aficionados are used to. Many spirit lovers have a problem with heavily peated scotch served neat. This cocktail is a perfect introduction to that wonderful, infamous corner of the scotch universe.
Peat and Sour
Flavor Profile: Smoky, Sweet, Sour
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Amaretto Liqueur
1 oz Heavily Peated Scotch (Laphroaig 10, Ardbeg 10)
3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Egg White
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients, including the egg white, into a Boston Shaker without ice. Dry shake for approximately one minute. Add ice. Shake again for approximately thirty seconds. Strain into a small rocks glass if served neat or into a large rocks glass if served with a large block of ice.
Garnish: Lemon Twist
This cocktail is a mash up of an Amaretto Sour and Godfather cocktails that were so popular in the 1970s and 80s. My only real change is the inclusion of a heavily peated scotch as the base spirit, and a bit of tinkering with the ingredient levels. I prefer Laphroaig or Ardbeg from Islay, but use whatever brand of heavily peated scotch that suits your fancy. I actually use Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength which is a real flame thrower of a scotch. The idea is to balance that unique peated flavor profile with enough sweetness from the amaretto and syrup. Once you accomplish that task, it’s just a matter of adding enough lemon juice to give it a nice sour kick. The egg white is essential here as it brings the whole experience together in perfect harmony.
Music Pairing:
U2/Luciano Pavarotti “Miss Sarajevo” Passengers; Original Soundtracks 1 (Island)
Rumored to be Bono’s favorite U2 song, “Miss Sarajevo” was a mash up of two entirely incompatible genres: that of rock and traditional opera. Like the Peat and Sour, it just works, and is one of the most touching cuts ever released by either U2 or Pavarotti.
Cheers!
Cheers!
Jim