Ginger... It's the New... Ummm... Jalapeño?

The Dallas Morning News tells us:

Move over, jalapeño – zesty ginger is spicing up drinks all over town. Cocktails flavored with ginger have migrated from Asian fusion restaurants such as Shinsei and Asian Mint to Latin restaurants like La Duni and Masaryk Modern Mexican Kitchen. It's not just an ethnic restaurant trend either; the drinks turn up at relaxed cafe-bars such as Bolsa and Neighborhood Services, as well as swanky steakhouses like Morton's.

The DMN offers a Leblon-based recipe with the unlikely name of...

Cock of the Walk, Baby

Muddle 2 lime wedges with 1 ounce ginger syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add 2 ounces Leblon Cachaca. Shake, then strain into 10-ounce glass filled with ice. Top off with Cock & Bull ginger beer (sold at Central Market). Stir in 2 dashes of Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6 (available at liquor stores) to balance flavors.

To make the ginger syrup:

Roughly chop a 3-ounce piece of fresh ginger root (4 ounces for a stronger ginger flavor). In a medium saucepan, combine the ginger with 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until sugar is completely dissolved and syrup is slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and discard ginger pieces. Let cool, then strain syrup into a container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use, for up to two weeks.

Here are some other ginger-based recipes previously featured here:

• An unnamed Veev / cachaca mixture
• The Lazy Lover
• Tangerine-ginger caipirinha

Comments

[Jordan Devereaux]

Ginger syrup rocks for drinks. We keep a bottle of it sitting around my apartment for just those kinds of uses. As a side note, it'll last a room temperature just fine.

If you happen to enjoy gin, try making a Blackthorn Bramble with ginger syrup instead of simple syrup. Tangy goodness.