When most people think of a savory cocktail, the first thing that comes to mind is a Bloody Mary and all of her variations (like the Bloody Caesar, etc.), but savory is the new sweet and there are so many praise-worthy cocktails floating around that highlighting only a few almost seems like a disservice. Almost. Here are a few really interesting cocktails that definitely blur the flavor-line between food and drink. Of course, if you want to stick with the tried-and-true, simply substitute basil in a classic Julep or Mojito! Bufala Negra Created by Jerry Slater at H. Harper Station / Makes 1 cocktail 1 1/2 oz. bourbon 4 fresh basil leaves 1 brown sugar cube 1/2 oz. balsamic syrup (see below) 2 oz. ginger beer Ice cubes Garnish: Fresh basil leaf Muddle the balsamic syrup, basil and sugar cube in a mixing tin. Add bourbon and ice and shake hard. Strain over fresh ice cubes into an Old Fashioned. Top with ginger beer and garnish with basil leaf. Balsamic Syrup Combine 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup simple syrup (1:1) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for one minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Mekong Martini Makes 1 cocktail 1 1/2 ounces Gin 1/2 ounce Spicy Mango syrup 2 sprigs cilantro 2 lime wedges Ice Garnish: Lime twist In a mixing glass, muddle cilantro and lime wedges. Add ice, gin and mango syrup and shake for 15-20 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, top with a splash of club soda. Thai's the Limit Created by Gina Chersevani / Makes 4 cocktails Make ahead! The coconut mix needs to be prepared at least 40 minutes in advance. For the Coconut Mix 27 ounces (2 cans) coconut milk, preferably Chaokoh brand 1 stalk lemon grass, pulverized 1 ounce ginger root, peeled and grated 1 small Thai (bird) chili, stemmed and minced (not seeded) 3/4 cup sugar For the Cocktail Ice 6 ounces gin, preferably Plymouth 4 ounces Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur 8 ounces coconut mix Juice of 4 large (or 5 small) limes Garnish: Cilantro leaves, thinly sliced For the Coconut Mix: Combine the coconut milk, pulverized lemon grass, ginger, Thai chili pepper and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and let the mixture steep for 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. For the Cocktail: Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the gin, Domaine de Canton, coconut mix and lime juice. Shake for 30 seconds, then strain into Collins glasses filled with ice. Garnish with the cilantro. Photo by Naotake M
