The Shift Drink
Posted by estiator at 10 September, at 03 : 29 AM Print
Superfoods Make Super Drinks
By DIMITRIOS ZAHARIADIS The Coctail Chemist
Like many dinner menus, craft cocktail lists often highlight local, farm-to-table ingredients—in particular, fresh berries, as the summer growing season comes to a close. Blackberries, high in antioxidants and found throughout the United States (cultivated and wild), are a delicious and healthy option that pairs well with bar staples such as fresh lemonade, as well as with fresh herbs (including rosemary, sage, thyme, and mint), and clear spirits (think vodka, gin, tequila, and mezcal). The blackberry itself is a versatile fruit and is nicely enhanced with natural sweeteners such as honey and agave.
Blackberries are not an assertive flavor in cocktails; in other words, they play nicely in the sandbox with others, complementing the other ingredients without overpowering them. And for this reason, they find endless possibilities behind the bar.
In this month’s Shift Drink, we’re marrying blackberries with a few leaves of fresh sage, which, like blackberries, has considerable health benefits. Commonly considered a “superfood,” blackberries are high in antioxidants, packed with vitamin C, high in fiber, a great source of vitamin K, high in manganese, and believed to boost brain health. According to nutritionists, sage is rich in vitamins and minerals (vitamins K and B6; iron, calcium and manganese), is also loaded with antioxidants, and supports oral health. It also gives a warm aroma and earthy flavor to the cocktail in question. Cheers!
Dimitrios Zahariadis is the president of The Cocktail Chemist, a restaurant consulting firm specializing in beverages; co-founder of the United States Bartenders Guild (USBG) New Haven Chapter; partner at Highland Brass Co in Waterbury, CT; and an awardwinning bartender and pioneer in the craft cocktail movement in New England. He can be contacted at thecocktailchemist@ hotmail.com.
Cocktail Name:
End of the Innocence
Ingredients:
1.5 oz white tequila (Lunazul Blanco recommended for quality and low cost)
.5 oz mezcal (Del Maguey Vida)
.75 oz fresh lime juice
3 blackberries for muddling; 3 more for garnish
.25 oz agave syrup
.75 oz pineapple juice
3 leaves fresh sage
Directions:
Muddle sage leaves with blackberries in a shaking tin. Add all ingredients and fill tin to ¾ full with ice. Shake vigorously and quickly for approximately 10-15 seconds (always point the shaker away from guests; hoist it above the shoulder if you want to make a “show”). Double strain (use bar strainer against the shaker and a fine mesh strainer held above the receiving glass) into an ice-filled rocks glass.
Glass:
Rocks glass
Garnish:
Three blackberries on a skewer
