Before heading off to Tales and turning over the subject of this blog to all things related to that always epic event, I wanted to sneak in a report on my participation in a competition we the bloggers were invited to join. The challenge involved creating an infusion of Oval Vodka, parlaying the resultant infusion into a cocktail, and submitting recipes for both the infusion and cocktail, along with an actual 8 ounce sample of the infusion conjured. In exchange for participation, Oval provided us with a bottle of the vodka, a shipping label, and a jar salvaged form the Polaner All Fruit factory. The promised reward for the winner? Two nights stay at the Monteleone during Tales, plus the right to wear a glorious gold lamé sash saying "Oval Infusion Champ-ee-awn Suckas!"
I initially had grandiose ideas for this contest, involving the recruitment of herbal experts to act as consultants, and foraging expeditions into the local forest for wild berries. Wisely, I quickly abandoned these ideas, instead going to the food co-op and randomly picking a couple of things that smelled nice. In the end, I infused my vodka with Calendula (aka Marigold) and Rose Hips. Calendula has a very mild, mellow flavor, and probably impacts an infusion more texturally than in taste, as its oils release into the vodka and give it a velvety feel. If one were pressed to compare Calendula to something, Saffron might be fair. In fact, Calendula is frequently used as a culinary substitute for Saffron. The Rose Hips add a little tang and sharpness.
Should anyone care to know, Calendula is used medicinally, primarily in a topical fashion, and its greatest benefit is to the skin. It also is used to treat menstrual pain and yeast infections (Il fait une bonne douche! Excusez-moi, je suis désolé! Tee-hee-hee). Don't no one never tell me Le Mixeur does not care about the women of the world.
Rose Hips are high in vitamin C, as well as vitamins D and E. They have therefore been used as an immune system booster for centuries, particularly among indigenous peoples. There is actually a precedent for the use of Rose Hips in alcohol. Pálinka, a distillate produced from wild or farmed fruit growing in Hungary, is sometimes made in small batch variety from Rose Hips (to excellent effect, so I've read). Additionally, Zwack produces a Kosher Plum Palinka that is "aged on a bed of rose hips." Whatever you say there Zzzzwackk.
Realizing my esteemed colleagues Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktail Nerd and Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin would be judging these infusions, I decided to give them an early Christmas present, and so into the infusion I also placed approximately 400 micrograms of some of the purest L.S.D. you're likely to find these days. Enjoy boys! Drink mine first! Hopefully this explains why I also included a copy of The Joyous Cosmology in the box.
(editor's note: there is probably not any L.S.D. in the infusion)
T.Mixeur's Cosmological Oval Elixeur
1 bottle Oval Vodka
1 cup dried Calendula
4 tblsp dried rose hips
strain out calendula and rose hips
The cocktail I then made featured a fabulous combination of ingredients I had left over from the previous month's Mixeur Six.
Inchworm
1 ½ oz Calendula/Rose Hip infused vodka
½ oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
½ oz lime juice
¼ oz Saffron Syrup (recipe below)
dash angostura bitters
shake and strain into a cocktail glass
garnish with sprig of fresh thyme
Saffron Syrup a la Anu Apte
1 1/4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup rose water
generous 1/4 teaspoon saffron strands
1 tablespoon water
Make a saffron extract by heating the tablespoon of water to near boil.
Crush the saffron strands between thumb and finger. Add the crushed saffron to hot water. Let it rest about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, add water and sugar in a heavy bottom pan. Heat till all the sugar is dissolved. Let it come to a boil. Ideally, reach 220 ºF.
Add the Rose Water to the saffron extract, then add all to the sugar syrup.
Cook about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let it rest.
After it cools it may be stored in a jar or bottle. You may leave the saffron threads in the syrup or remove. (leave 'em in they pretty)
Something about this combo of ingredients caused this drink to be nice and frothy, almost as if one had added egg white. Possibly it was the toxic and deadly chemicals in calendula that should not ever be consumed internally by anyone, ever, under any circumstances. Possibly it was the LSD. Possibly the jar Oval sent me was previously used for dish soap and had not been properly washed. I'm sure you'll agree that all possibilities are quite appetizing! Make one now, and share with all your friends.
And there you have it. We now all await the results of the contest, which should come as soon as Gabriel regains the ability to form coherent words and Rick stops lying on the floor digging the trails his hand makes when he twirls it around.
Next up: Tales Galore...
I initially had grandiose ideas for this contest, involving the recruitment of herbal experts to act as consultants, and foraging expeditions into the local forest for wild berries. Wisely, I quickly abandoned these ideas, instead going to the food co-op and randomly picking a couple of things that smelled nice. In the end, I infused my vodka with Calendula (aka Marigold) and Rose Hips. Calendula has a very mild, mellow flavor, and probably impacts an infusion more texturally than in taste, as its oils release into the vodka and give it a velvety feel. If one were pressed to compare Calendula to something, Saffron might be fair. In fact, Calendula is frequently used as a culinary substitute for Saffron. The Rose Hips add a little tang and sharpness.
Should anyone care to know, Calendula is used medicinally, primarily in a topical fashion, and its greatest benefit is to the skin. It also is used to treat menstrual pain and yeast infections (Il fait une bonne douche! Excusez-moi, je suis désolé! Tee-hee-hee). Don't no one never tell me Le Mixeur does not care about the women of the world.
Rose Hips are high in vitamin C, as well as vitamins D and E. They have therefore been used as an immune system booster for centuries, particularly among indigenous peoples. There is actually a precedent for the use of Rose Hips in alcohol. Pálinka, a distillate produced from wild or farmed fruit growing in Hungary, is sometimes made in small batch variety from Rose Hips (to excellent effect, so I've read). Additionally, Zwack produces a Kosher Plum Palinka that is "aged on a bed of rose hips." Whatever you say there Zzzzwackk.
Realizing my esteemed colleagues Gabriel Szaszko of Cocktail Nerd and Rick Stutz of Kaiser Penguin would be judging these infusions, I decided to give them an early Christmas present, and so into the infusion I also placed approximately 400 micrograms of some of the purest L.S.D. you're likely to find these days. Enjoy boys! Drink mine first! Hopefully this explains why I also included a copy of The Joyous Cosmology in the box.
(editor's note: there is probably not any L.S.D. in the infusion)
T.Mixeur's Cosmological Oval Elixeur
1 bottle Oval Vodka
1 cup dried Calendula
4 tblsp dried rose hips
- optional: copious quantities of a synthetic chemical derived from ergot alkaloids produced by the ergot fungus, which grows on rye.
strain out calendula and rose hips
The cocktail I then made featured a fabulous combination of ingredients I had left over from the previous month's Mixeur Six.
Inchworm
1 ½ oz Calendula/Rose Hip infused vodka
½ oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
½ oz lime juice
¼ oz Saffron Syrup (recipe below)
dash angostura bitters
shake and strain into a cocktail glass
garnish with sprig of fresh thyme
Saffron Syrup a la Anu Apte
1 1/4 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup rose water
generous 1/4 teaspoon saffron strands
1 tablespoon water
Make a saffron extract by heating the tablespoon of water to near boil.
Crush the saffron strands between thumb and finger. Add the crushed saffron to hot water. Let it rest about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, add water and sugar in a heavy bottom pan. Heat till all the sugar is dissolved. Let it come to a boil. Ideally, reach 220 ºF.
Add the Rose Water to the saffron extract, then add all to the sugar syrup.
Cook about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let it rest.
After it cools it may be stored in a jar or bottle. You may leave the saffron threads in the syrup or remove. (leave 'em in they pretty)
Something about this combo of ingredients caused this drink to be nice and frothy, almost as if one had added egg white. Possibly it was the toxic and deadly chemicals in calendula that should not ever be consumed internally by anyone, ever, under any circumstances. Possibly it was the LSD. Possibly the jar Oval sent me was previously used for dish soap and had not been properly washed. I'm sure you'll agree that all possibilities are quite appetizing! Make one now, and share with all your friends.
And there you have it. We now all await the results of the contest, which should come as soon as Gabriel regains the ability to form coherent words and Rick stops lying on the floor digging the trails his hand makes when he twirls it around.
Next up: Tales Galore...
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