The
WOODSMAN

MAKES 1 or 4 COCKTAILS

Makes 4 cocktails

The Woodsman uses bourbon as its base liquor, a spirit that is aged in oak casks. But that’s not where the wood connection ends, as all of the other ingredients come from trees—pear, maple, lemon, and allspice. This slightly spicy drink is best made with a very ripe and juicy pear.

¼ ripe pear, such as Bosc, unpeeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1½ ounces bourbon

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

¼ ounce pure maple syrup

¼ ounce allspice (pimento) dram (see Note)

Muddle the chopped pear well in a cocktail shaker. Add ice with the bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup, and allspice dram. Shake very well. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

Party-Sized Woodsman: Pulse 1 ripe pear (cored and thinly sliced), 6 ounces (¾ cup) bourbon, 2 ounces (¼ cup) fresh lemon juice, 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) maple syrup, and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) allspice dram together in a blender to coarsely chop the pear. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small pitcher and discard the solids. (The mixture can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 4 hours.) For each drink, pour a scant 3 ounces (about ⅓ cup) into an ice-filled rocks glass.

Note: Allspice dram is a spice-flavored liqueur from Jamaica (where allspice is better known as pimento). If you can’t find it at your local liquor store (St. Elizabeth and Bitter Truth are the most common brands), it can be ordered online, or make some according to one of the recipes on the internet.

RED TEQUILA
SANGRIA

MAKES ABOUT 12 DRINKS

The best sangria recipes are more than red wine and fruit—they are fortified with spirits, too. In Spain, brandy is common, but I like this combination of American bourbon and Mexican tequila for a multinational twist. For the best results, make the sangria the night before serving so the ingredients have time to really blend together.

18 ounces (about 2¼ cups, three-fourths of a 750-ml bottle) medium-bodied red wine, such as Rioja or Pinot Noir

10 ounces (1¼ cups) fresh orange juice, preferably blood orange

5 ounces (⅔ cup) reposado tequila

5 ounces (⅔ cup) bourbon

4 ounces (½ cup) fresh lime juice

4 ounces (½ cup) Simple Syrup (this page)

2 navel oranges, cut into thin wheels, for garnish

2 limes, cut into thin wheels, for garnish

Stir all of the ingredients except the garnishes together in a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. For each drink, pour about 4 ounces (½cup) into an ice-filled wineglass, adding some of the fruit.

COCKTAIL SYRUPS

Many cocktail recipes use syrups to add sweetness and to balance the strength of the alcohol. Syrups are easy to make in small batches at home, but refrigerate them for storage, as they don’t last forever. Here are the three syrups used in this book.

Simple Syrup

Makes about 6 ounces (¾ cup)

An easy mix of sugar and water, this is a common syrup for when the cocktail requires sweetness without any other flavors.

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Let cool. (The syrup can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.)

Lemon Simple Syrup

Makes about 4 ounces (½ cup)

This citrusy syrup is used as a sweet-and-sour ingredient in many of our cocktails.

⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Let cool. (The syrup can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.)

Cinnamon-Pear Syrup

Makes about 5 ounces (⅔ cup)

Used in Ruby Red Punch (here), this cinnamon-y syrup can also be added to hot cider for a warming nonalcoholic drink.

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

½ ripe pear, such as Bosc, quartered (no need to peel or core)

Combine the water with the sugar, cinnamon sticks, and pear in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer until the pear is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a wooden spoon, mash the pear in the liquid to extract as much juice as possible. Let cool. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. (The syrup can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 week.)