Our friend and bartender, Sean deAnda, is back teaching us some new skills just in time for Valentine’s Day. This particular cocktail, as Sean says, tastes like a smoked version of the typical Valentine’s Day candy, Red Hots. And, if you like your flavors deep and smokey, as I do, then you will very much enjoy Sean’s version.
This cocktail gets an extra boost of flavor from from what is called a rinse, in this case, one done with scotch. A rinse imparts the taste of a strongly flavored ingredient to a cocktail, without that ingredient overpowering the rest of the drink.
As Sean shows us, there’s a couple of ways to do a rinse depending upon your aptitude for getting messy. Cheers, friends, and happy Valentine’s Day.
Orasella’s Red Hawt
Serves 1
You can find these ingredients at Total Wine in the Seattle-area or a well-stocked liquor store wherever you live.
1.50 oz ESP smoked gin
1.25 oz Cocchi Rosa
0.25 oz Orasella cherry syrup
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Ardbeg Scotch rinse
Generously coat the inside and outside of a rocks glass with a Ardbeg Scotch. You can do this rinse in two ways. Your choice.
1.
Pour a quarter ounce of scotch into the glass. Use your fingers to coat the inside and outside of the glass. Discard excess scotch.
2.
Fill an atomizer or small spray bottle with scotch and spray the inside and outside of the glass until covered.
Combine gin, Cocchi Rosa, cherry syrup and Peychaud’s bitters in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until perfectly chilled. Strain into the scotch coated glass. Garnish with an Orasella cherry.