Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/31323
SMOKED BERRY 777 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 2 oz. Tres Sietes Reposado Tequila ¼ oz. Triple Sec ¾ oz. lemon juice ¾ oz. honey syrup 2 smoked raspberries 2 smoked blackberries 3 smoked strawberries (de-stemmed) I do my very best to stay current on the new techniques and tools chefs and mixologists are using to infuse flavor into their cocktails and elevate their overall bar programs. I recently found a cool new tool that quickly and easily adds a smoked flavor to, well . . . practically anything. It’s appropri- ately called the Smoking Gun. The initial investment is around $100, but I think it’s well worth it—and you will too. The idea is fairly simple: Add anything dried to the chamber. Wood, fruit, any spice (or a combination of all of the above) work well. Place the ingredients you want to infuse with smokiness into a sealable container (I used a Ziploc bag), stick one end of the rubber hose into the container, light the items in the chamber, preferably with a match, and turn the machine on. I would caution you to do this in an open area; you might even want to turn on the oven hood to help with ventilation (trust me, the first time I did this I smoked out the whole kitchen and the house smelled like hickory for days). Finally, seal the bag and wait. For more delicate ingredients, such as fresh berries, I recommend 30 minutes in smoke. For this installment, we headed down to Rolling Stone LA and met up with Beverage Director and Mixologist Tricia Alley. She has such a passion for cocktails and runs an interesting, well-balanced and fresh program. For this cocktail, I smoked the berries with hickory for about 30 minutes. This lightly-smokey flavor was the perfect balance with Tres Sietes Reposado’s clean, fruity notes. For the honey syrup, take 4 oz. of orange blossom honey,and combine thoroughly with 2 oz. of hot water. Add the smoked berries to a mixing glass and muddle well; add remaining ingredients and ice. Cap with a mixing tin and shake well. Strain through a sieve into glass with ice and garnish with a thinly-sliced lemon wheel dipped in smoked sea salt. Strawberries. THE TASTING PANEL’s Meridith May’s tasting notes on Tres Sietes Reposado: Mango, banana and papaya play rhythmically with taffy on the nose. The palate is a plush, elegantly-textured tropical treat with a dash of white pepper. 92 points Blackberries. Raspberries. The rules of The Smoking Gun: Insert pretty much anything dried into the chamber, light, and ! Here, Phil Adler lights some dried hickory, which he used to smoke blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. may 201 1 / the tasting panel / 125 v oilá