The Cocktail Whisperer: Hurricane Sandy Cocktail!

I usually shy away from anything that says hurricane.  Perhaps it was living through Hurricane Hugo back in 1989 that makes me nervous whenever the wind blows.  Or maybe it was Sandy, the superstorm that blew up the East Coast with precise alacrity and utter destruction.  My own neighborhood was spared except for about a couple dozen trees set asunder.  Unfortunately these trees fell over the power lines- and those power lines supplied our house and all of our neighbors.

We were damned lucky not to lose the house.  Trees litter the woods, some cut off at the middle.  A tornado does that.  I saw what tornadoes do in the South.  Same thing exactly.  Horrifying really.  I cannot imagine what those people in Staten Island, the Jersey Shore and Queens went through.

All I know is the wind was relentless.

Our Mavea “Inspired Water” Pitchers sustained us.  Our water at home is on a well.  The well pump is electric.  No electric means no water.  I was spending large blocks of time down at the Morris Township, NJ fire station.  Wonderful guys down there.  They put up with me filling up 5 gallon bottles of water for all sorts of things around the house.  Our town ultra chlorinated the water during the storm.  Our water was suddenly changed.  It felt differently on the skin and for making coffee.  Fortunately I have two Mavea water pitchers.  They worked, effortlessly.  Filtering our coffee water.  Sustaining the plants.  Boiling water for doing the dishes.  It all ran through the two Mavea pitchers.  Life sustaining?  Absolutely.

Without them our enjoyment of the water that we drink would have evaporated.

It was almost like camping out at home.  One room was 70, the other 34.  It was shocking to the system, but the water we drank was pure luxury.

I designed a cocktail to put to rest the horrible two weeks that we endured.  We were very lucky this time.  Others less so.

My hurricane involves a new brand of Bourbon Whiskey called Homestead.  Let’s just say that I really like it.  Just as lucky as we are to have dodged this bullet of having all of our trees knocked down, drinking Homestead is a pure and succinct pleasure.

Always nice to get power back so you can make ice!

I use water filtered through the Mavea Inspired Water pitcher always!  The ice freezes almost perfectly clear.

 

The Cocktail Whisperer’s Hurricane Sandy Cocktail

Homestead Bourbon

Tenneyson Absinthe

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Cardamom and Clove

Bitter End Curry Bitters

Preparation:

Freeze a couple of 2”x 2” silicone KING Ice Cube trays from Williams-Sonoma with water from the Mavea Inspired Water pitcher

Chill a rocks glass with 1/2 shot of Tenneyson Absinthe (wash) and ice, plus Mavea Inspired Water

Pour out ice and the Tenneyson Absinthe wash into shot glasses- set aside!

For two, blow your socks off cocktails:

To a Boston Shaker add:

4 oz. Homestead Whiskey

2 oz. Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Cardamom and Clove

2 oz. Fresh Lemon juice

5 drops of the Bitter End Curry Bitters

Add a handful of ice

Shake shake shake shake shake shake shake.. ok.

Add 2 giant ice cubes to the pre-washed glasses

Strain the mixture into the short rocks glasses

Shoot the Absinthe water, then sip the cocktail.

Danger Level 5 out of 5!

I’d like to thank Chef Anthony Bucco and Bar Captain Chris James of the Ryland Inn for helping me find my dreams.