Arsenic Lace

Archives for November 2019

Cranberry Orange Marmalade Sour

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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Mostly because of the food. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberries, pumpkin pie… I could go on and on. A part of me is a bit sad that I’ll be missing that this year as I head on down to Nashville on Thanksgiving. But I got a little taste of Thanksgiving this week when I made this Cranberry Orange Marmalade Sour with my friends at Exotico Tequila.

I really enjoy coming up with different ways to enjoy drinks that fit the season. This drink is perfect to serve alongside all the dishes that you’ll be whipping up on turkey day. I can only assume that you’ll have cranberries in the house so making the cranberry syrup for this drink will be easy peasy.

Cranberry Orange Marmalade Tequila Sour, serve 1

2 oz. Exotico Tequila

3/4 oz. lemon juice

3/4 oz. cranberry syrup*

1 heaping barspoon of orange marmalade

Sprig of rosemary, for garnish

*Cranberry Syrup, makes 1 cup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup fresh cranberries

First, make your cranberry syrup which is super easy! Add sugar, water and cranberries to a saucepan and simmer on low heat. Stir frequently until all cranberries have started to pop. After the cranberries have fully cooked, about 10 minutes, the syrup should be looking bright red. Remove from heat and let completely cool. Strain out cranberries and store syrup in a bottle or jar in the refrigerator.

After you’ve made your cranberry syrup it’s time to make a Cranberry Orange Marmalade Tequila Sour. Add tequila, lemon, cranberry syrup and orange marmalade to a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

I love this cocktail so much! The cranberry syrup is tart and the orange marmalade provides sweet, citrusy and jammy fruit notes. The rosemary is delightfully fragrant. And well, the tequila, it’s Exotico Tequila so it’s perfect in everything as far as I’m concerned. If anything embodied Thanksgiving in a glass it would most certainly be this drink 100%. The cranberry syrup makes this Cranberry Orange Marmalade Tequila Sour such a lovely hue as well. I wish fresh cranberries were around ALL YEAR!

I hope you consider making this for your Thanksgiving festivities next week. I’ll be en route to Nashville to sell my book at a holiday market for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday at Ft. Houston. If you’re local to Nashville stop by, grab a book and say hi! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Dia de los Muertos

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The Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is the first two days of November. It’s an ode to the afterlife and a reminder that death is nothing to be afraid of. I was so honored to team up with one of my favorite mezcals, Banhez, to make an offrenda to my father Alexander Jacob for Dia de los Muertos.

In most regions of Mexico, practices developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1, and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to as Día de los Inocentes (“Day of the Innocents”) but also as Día de los Angelitos (“Day of the Little Angels”); November 2 is referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos (“Day of the Dead”).

The ofrendas, as the altars are called, are carefully assembled using many traditional elements, but each of them is unique on its own. They can be personalized with the dead person’s favorite food, mementos from their lives and their favorite items. Some traditional elements would be food items like tamales, pumpkin, pan de muerto (bread of dead), and sugar skulls. Beverages would include tequila, mezcal, pulque, atole and hibiscus tea. My father was Italian and loved to eat so I made spaghetti with red sauce (gravy as we call it) and meatballs. I also included a side of bread and parmesan cheese which no Italian meal can be without!

My father also loved red wine and I really wanted to incorporate that element into a cocktail for the ofrenda with Bahnez. I put a simple twist on the New Your sour to come up with a drink that’s still authentic and also complements the ingredients of the food.

Oaxacan Sour, serves 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz. Banhez Mezcal

3/4 oz. lemon juice

1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup

Float red wine

Freshly grated cinnamon for garnish

Add all your ingredients, besides wine, to a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Float red wine and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.

Día de los Muertos is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. Above the ofrenda is my favorite photo of my father along with some flowers. The scent and bright colors of flowers, particularly marigolds, are meant to guide the spirits to their altars. Glasses of water are usually left out to quench the thirst of the dead after their long journey. I hope this will inspire you to honor someone that is important to you that is no longer with us. I also hope that this Oaxacan Sour will quench your thirst too. After a long journey, I like to drink mezcal. Remembering and missing my father today and every day. xo