Mixed Drinks Made Simple
It's All in the Wrist
By: Philip Kampe - Mar 17, 2015
It's that time of year, again, to entertain the troops. Many Holidays are upon us, as well as that time of year when the winter has exited and the great outdoors takes over.
Whether it is an outdoor dinner party, friends over for a big holiday meal, or whatever, it is up to us to entertain our company. Yes, I am a big wine guy, who, like all wine guys, loves beer as well. Mixed drinks have been a bit off of my path, yet, I am always intrigued with the hype the spirits world has been getting. So, I decided to follow the lead, which is not normally my philosophy and see what I could come up with as a starter cocktail for our guests.
According to my son, organic is 'in'. Why not begin by going down that path and see what is in the market for the consumer. I followed his advice and ended up finding a certified organic simple syrup that is crafted in small batches, using no artificial additives or coloring. It was time to be hip.
What I learned about the syrups, marketed under the name, 'Purely Syrup', was that the founder, David DeRinzy, was a mixologist from San Francisco, who realized that making simple syrup was a long, arduous task that most bartenders shy away from. He thought out loud, 'Why not make my own batches of simple syrup and sell it to other bartenders. That was the beginning of 'Purely Syrup'. Add entrepreneur Joshua Bloom and marketer Steven Craig to the list and you have the 'Purely Syrup' team/
The success of David DeRinzy has spilled over to the consumer market and small batches of 'Purely Syrup' are available throughout the country. Fortunately, I was able to purchase the five syrups on the market, Classic; Vanilla Bean; Ginger Root; Habernro and Grapefruit, at a local NYC shop.
What I learned was the true easiness of adding the syrups to recipes from the Purely Syrup website, www.purelysyrup.com .The end result was a home run. Guests remark one-hundred percent of the time, 'Where did you learn how to mix a drink like that?'.
That is praise enough for the product.
I visited the website and found recipes that make our guests think that I am the best mixologist ever.
Thank you David DeRinzy for making life easy.
Below are some recipes that that have proven successful, at least in my household.
Maple Leaf
2 oz. of Bourbon (your choice)
3/4 ounce of organic vanilla syrup
1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice
2 dashes of Peychaud's-Bitters
Shake and pour
1860 Sour
1 1/2 ounces of gin (your choice)
3/4 ounce of organic purely syrup classic
3/4 ounce of fresh lemon juice
Shake and pour
Ginger Lemonade
2 ounces of Citrus Vodka
2/3ounce of organic purely syrup ginger root
2/3 ounce of fresh lemon uice
2/3 ounce of cranberry juice
Top with ginger beer
Habernero Margarita
1 1/2 ounce of Mezcal
3/4 ounce of organic purely syrup habernero
3/4 ounce of fresh lime juice
Shake and pour
Grapefruit Sazerac
2 ounces of rye (your choice)
2 dashes of Peychaud's-Bitters
1/2 ounce of organic purely syrup grapefruit
Absinthe to coat the glass
These are recipes for success!
Philip S. Kampe
winefoodtravelarts@yahoo.com