This post is brought to you by Jackson Morgan Southern Cream. Recipes and ideas are my own.
By the time August rolls around I can see Fall off in the horizon and all I can think about is WHY CAN’T SUMMER BE DONE WITH?! The sad reality is, it’s still going to be hot in Southern California for like, two more months. And it was relentless this year. I find it funny that in an area where seasons aren’t too distinct, I just can’t help but go on and on about the weather. Gosh, I’m getting boring.
But you know what’s not boring? Today’s cocktail!
Back in April while I was at the WSWA show in Vegas, and happily sipping on some great–and, let’s be honest, not so great–liquors, I happened across the Jackson Morgan Southern Cream booth. They had some really fun flavors and after I tried out their Whipped Orange Cream…mmmm; I was in a happy place. The flavor was just heads and tails better over the usual batch of flavored cream liqueurs–they didn’t taste artificial.
So, I nabbed a bottle of the Salted Caramel and concocted a recipe today that is halfway in Fall but still lingering in Summer.
Salted caramel! Cinnamon! Fall! I’m more than happy to put these flavors in all my cocktails come September, but to keep it just a bit summer-y (I mean, it’s still only August), I’ve infused some whiskey with roasted peanuts. Combined, the resulting flavors are rich and warm with a fun pop of savory from the peanuts. It’s not too sweet with just enough creaminess in the mouthfeel. And since we’re serving it over ice, you can enjoy sipping on this cocktail even while the sun’s still out.
If the thought of infusions is giving you second thoughts, hold tight! There was the old way, where you combined your ingredients into a jar and agitated it every day, for like a week. Or a month. But some smartypants discovered the quick infusion using a whipping canister. Now, yes, this means having to acquire another piece of equipment for your home bar. However, it will save you a lot of time if making infusions and tinctures is your thing. Also, it’s a whipped cream canister. So, you get to have instant whipped cream any time you want!! Yay! I have my preferred brand which I noted in the recipe below, but seriously, any quality grade canister will do. Just remember you’ll need N2O cartridges for this, not CO2!
Some notes on infusions:
- When I do infusions I tend to make them in smaller batches unless it is for an event, then I’ll usually go with an entire 750 ml bottle or two. Here I’m using 200 ml because I find the flavor dissipates over time and I don’t want to waste an entire bottle of whiskey if it’s not going to get used up immediately.
- Another reason you want to keep this batch smaller is due to the oils the peanuts impart to the whiskey. It just gets a bit gunky if you let it sit for too long. You can remedy this to a point by fine straining a few times, but this is not necessary if you’re doing a small batch and using the whiskey up.
- With quick infusion in a whip cream charger, always use N2O chargers, never use CO2 as you’ll get a metallic taste in your infusion–yuck!
- Also, do not use soda siphons to do this as they are manufactured to be used with water only.
For the cocktail:
2 ounces Jackson Morgan Salted Caramel Liqueur
1 ounce roasted peanut infused whiskey (recipe follows)
1/4 ounce cinnamon tincture (or large pinch of ground cinnamon, recipe for tincture follows)
ground cinnamon for garnish
- In a shaker 2/3 filled with ice, add Jackson Morgan Salted Caramel Liqueur, roasted peanut infused whiskey and cinnamon tincture or ground cinnamon. Shake hard for 20 seconds to chill. Strain over fresh ice into a double rocks glass. Garnish with grated cinnamon.
For the quick infused roasted peanut whiskey:
200 ml whiskey of your choice
1 cup roasted peanuts
- Into a whipping canister (I use the ISI brand canister), add whiskey and roasted peanuts. Screw on the top and charge with one charger of N2O. Discard charger and let the mixture sit for one minute. Release pressure, open the top and strain whiskey into a clean vessel for storage. Discard peanuts or let them dry and snack on the whiskey flavored peanuts later. Use whiskey immediately or keep sealed in a cool, dark place for up to two weeks.
For the quick infused cinnamon tincture:
1 cup vodka
6 4″ cinnamon stick, crushed slightly
- Into a whipping canister, add vodka and cinnamon. Screw on the top and charge with one charger of N2O. Discard charger and let the mixture sit for one minute. Release pressure, open the top and strain tincture into a clean vessel for storage. Tincture will keep up to one year in a cool, dark place.