Culinary influences from the kitchen are trickling into cocktail bars, especially inside fine dining.  In 2015 look for more infused spirits.  And not “easy” infusions like jalapenos in tequila, cucumbers in gin, or herbs in vodka.  Bartenders are stretching their creativity to include such recipes as rum infused with brown butter.  And savory “broth-tails” are threatening a takeover too—cocktails inspired by Vietnamese pho or lamb broth mixed with your favorite high-end whiskey, for example.  House-made ingredients are hot as well, allowing bartenders to showcase their inspirations in their own specially prepared bitters or shrubs they will use to make delectable drinks for their customers.

Another trend to watch for in your favorite bar is the explosion of bitter…in fruity cocktails, and even in simple drinks like gin and tonic.  The bitter gives your favorite beverage a complexity it is likely otherwise lacking, providing a balance of flavor.  If your bartender doesn’t suggest it, try asking for a dash of Angostura® or house-made bitters in whatever drink you are craving.  It will surely not disappoint!

As the saying goes, out with the new, in with the old.  Well, maybe I mixed it up a little, but what was once considered old is fast becoming new again.  Prohibition-era recipes are bringing back some obscure ingredients that haven’t been seen in more than 70-80 years—flavored bitters and even shrubs are quickly hitting the bar scene after a long hiatus.  What does this mean for you?  It means fresh new (old?) flavors combine for fantastic, refreshing drinks that invite you to have another…and maybe even another…how can you resist a second Peach & Bourbon Shrub, like this one:

Peach & Bourbon Shrub

2 oz bourbon

¾ oz peach shrub syrup  (the recipe for the shrub can be found here)

¾ oz cherry liquer

1 dash absinthe

And speaking of old, how about a little moonshine to replace your vodka?  This legally brewed white whiskey is never aged in a barrel, giving it a sweet, smooth flavor without the smoke/oak profiles found it its brown-colored counterpart.  You’ll be right in style if you order this white whiskey in your Moscow Mule or in a martini, and your taste buds will thank you.

Not much of a drinker?  Not a problem.  Low-alcohol cocktails and mocktails are also on the rise in 2015.  Supporters of this trend include the consumer, who wishes to drink responsibly.  But the mocktail/low-alcohol cocktail support doesn’t stop there.  It makes great commercial sense to operators who can entice their customers to drink more than just a cocktail or two, which equates to high sales at a much higher profit margin than if they sold, say, a soda.  Win-win for the bar scene!

No matter what your drink of choice, there is no doubt that you can find something that will please your palate.  Which of the cocktail trends tempts you?

The post Raising the Bar at the Bar appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Gillian Helquist, food and beverage manager at Shed in Healdsburg, California, says that “shrubs are the epitome of utilizing a season’s bounty when it’s on its way out.”  And the great thing about a shrub is that you are really only limited by your imagination—using whatever fruit is on its way out of season, and any mix of herbs and/or spices, you can experiment to your heart’s content to come up with a flavor combination (or two, or three, or twenty) that you love.  The best shrubs have a flavor that is both tart and sweet so that when you mix the cordial-like fermented syrup with carbonated water, what you have created is a refreshing concoction that will keep you cool on even the hottest of days, or will be reminiscent of warm summer sunshine even in the dead of winter.

To make a shrub, start by choosing a fruit.  And the beauty of choosing the fruit is that it doesn’t have to be the perfect batch—blemishes are fine because you are making syrup.  You may even want to ask for a discount for purchasing less-than-perfect produce.

Second, choose your sugar.  Most shrub makers recommend using basic white sugar when starting out, and working your way up to experimenting with fancier brown sugars.

Lastly, choose your vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar is a great place to start, but red wine will work too.  They are less bland than plain white vinegar, and add some flavor without funkiness.

Add equal parts sugar and water to a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves.  Add the fruit and simmer until well blended.  Strain out the solids and add vinegar to the juices.  Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to make a drink.

The heated process is the fastest, but certainly not the best.  For purer and brighter fruit flavor, try the cold process:

Lightly crush the fruit and cover with sugar.  After a couple of days you can strain the syrup away from the solids.  Add vinegar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Bottle this and store in the refrigerator, but check it often to make sure there is no remaining sugar settled at the bottom of the bottle—you’ll want to shake it up if there is.

For both versions you will want to use about a 1:1:1 ratio, but over time you may tweak the amounts just a bit to find the combination that you like best.

For a lovely and refreshing Blackberry Basil Shrub Cocktail, make your shrub using one of the above methods and add in some basil leaves.  When you are satisfied with the length of time the shrub has fermented, follow this recipe:

2 ounces vodka

2 ounces blackberry shrub infused with basil

4-5 ounces sparkling water

Mix ingredients in a tall glass and top with ice.  Enjoy!

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