Squaller’s Delight

Recipe:

2 oz. Laird’s Old Apple Brandy
.5 oz. Gingered Sorghum Simple Syrup
.25 tsp Sherry Vinegar
2-3 dashed Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with large ice cubes.

No garnish.

For some reason, I love saying the word “squall.” The good news about this is that it makes severe weather reports fun. The bad news is that my family has to listen to me announcing, “Squall!” rather like a yowling cat whenever the opportunity presents itself.

My infatuation with the word and recent foul weather has led, of course, to the birth of a cocktail lovingly coined “Squaller’s Delight.” Although a sailor might argue, storms always lead me to brown liquor, so I’ve turned to a bottle of Laird’s Old Apple Brandy.

To pair with it, I like the rich, funky sweetness of sorghum syrup, which is a juice extract collected from a tall grass called sweet sorghum. Sorghum syrup can be very thick once jarred, so I’ve made a sorghum simple syrup by bringing a half a cup each of sorghum syrup and water to a bowl. To add a spicy edge to the drink, I drop a peeled and sliced 2″ piece of ginger into the pot, let it boil for 5 minutes, then cut off the heat and let it steep for 20 minutes as the mixture cools.

I’ve added sherry vinegar because I think the drink needs a touch of acid. It doesn’t take much, but the effect is lovely.

Once your simple syrup has cooled, measure out your ingredients, stir with ice and serve in a fancy rocks glass like the one above that I found at the thrift store and gave to my husband as part of a make-your-own Sazerac kit (A fun DIY gift idea).