Our counterpart cocktail to our Something Blue is our Something Borrowed. Where as my wife’s cocktail emphasized her love of Tiki drinks, my cocktail reflects my love of whiskey, and making layered, complexly flavored cocktails. We wanted to do this in a way that would help ensure our guest wouldn’t over indulge, and thus the drink is made in the template of a tuned up highball, but all about the Wild Turkey and the Amaro.
Something Borrowed
Our Something Borrowed is nutty, spicy, creamy, and complex. The floralness of the vanilla bean balances delicately against the nutty notes of the pecans. The underlying spice of the bourbon and herbal notes add a beautiful weight to the drink that’s counterbalanced by the lifting influence of the club. The pop of the orange opens up the flavors of all the elements with just the right hint of sweetness.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
This drink was designed for batch and prep, and therefore all the elements require prep beforehand. One one of the key elements to make this drink sing was getting the orange oils in without needing the bartenders to express all of the orange oils for every drink at wedding reception. Unlike our normal bullet points, we’ve broken everything down into sections below. For the club soda (which won’t have a section), use your favorite brand.
As a warning, this recipe is built to be made using a sous vide. Results outside of the methods listed below may result in significant variation.
Pecan Infused Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
- 30g Pecans (Whole)
- 200g Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
Preheat sous vide water to 145℉. Combine Pecans and Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon in a small mason jar or sous vide bag. Seal (and remove air from the bag if using). Place into a water bath and heat for 2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Bottle and store in a cool dark place.
Vanilla Bean Infused Amaro Nonino
- 1/3 Vanilla Bean Split and Scrapped
- 240g Amaro Nonino
Preheat sous vide water to 175℉. Place vanilla bean and scraped vanilla bean seeds into a mason jar or sous vide bag. Add Amaro Nonino. Seal (and remove air from the bag if using). Place into a water bath and heat for 2 hours. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Bottle and store in a cool dark place.
Orange Oleo Saccharum Syrup
- 8 oz White Sugar
- 4 oz Water
- 2 Medium Oranges
Place the white sugar in a bottle with a lid. Zest both oranges into the bowl. Muddle the zest with the sugar until evenly distributed. Cover with an airtight lid and allow to stand for 3 hours. Remove lid, you should see some coloration from the orange zest (and potentially oils). Stir to combine, and dump into a sauce pan. Add 4 oz water and heat until sugar is no longer visible. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Strain with a chinois and bottle. Refrigerate. Dispose of if any clouding or mold develops. Due to the high sugar content, this should resist growth longer.