The Minuit Cocktail
Since I heard about it, I’ve wanted to try making Jamie Boudreau’s beer liqueur. I haven’t been able to find a suitable Belgium beer for the Dupont Cocktail, but my local Trader Joe’s recently started carrying Kennebunkport Pumpkin Ale, so I decided to give it a try.
By and large, the method worked as detailed, although, contrary to what I had expected, no head actually stayed on the pumpkin ale. On the bright side, this (theoretically) conserved more of the beer; I ended up with a thick, honeyed syrup that retained the malty notes of the ale. I was actually almost disappointed to add the vodka preservative; although it cut the cloying sweetness, it initially added a harsh alcoholic bite that masked some of the ale’s flavor. I actually blame myself for this, partially, as I used the cheapest vodka I had on hand, which turned out to be Smirnoff (actually, I’m not positive that Three Olives, which I inherited a bottle of a few months ago, is significantly more expensive.) I’ve said before that most vodka tastes about the same, but I may have to revise that: Smirnoff, in taste tests I’ve done with friends, has a sort of mild “hospital” taste that some (even cheaper) vodkas like Svedka lack.
Pumpkin liqueur on the stove: Boils over faster than expected.
Overall, however, the syrup was a resounding success; hats off to Mr. Boudreau for suggesting it. Since I had no tequila on hand for the Don Enrique or La Familia cocktails, I paired the pumpkin liqueur with bourbon and Chartreuse.
The resulting cocktail had a Manhattan-esque quality to it (hence the name: Peter Minuit famously purchased Manhattan Island for $24 in trade goods–albeit from a tribe with no rights to the island), but the Chartreuse added an earthy flavor that complemented the bourbon and liqueur. The pumpkin and malt notes were subtle, but present.
Minuit Cocktail
2 oz Evan Williams Black Label bourbon
1 oz pumpkin ale liqueur
1/4 oz Green ChartreuseStir on ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a bourbon or maraschino cherry.
Evan Williams, my default mixing bourbon, is a little sweet for this cocktail; a rye like Rittenhouse, actually, would probably be ideal.
Three Martini Lunch 