Now it’s no secret that I’m not a big football fan, and I try to hide from the Superbowl as much as possible. But as I drove home in the middle of the Superdome Blackout, I decided to honor the occasion with a cocktail.
Ginger is one of my favorite flavors in general, and a ginger cocktail seemed like just what the doctor ordered. To achieve this concoction, I pulled a few tricks out of my sleeve. Mister Ginger Linebacker hails from Australia, and here is how you make him appear in your living room!
In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle a teaspoon of a good quality orange marmalade over 3
ounces of rum. I used Republic of Jam Clementine Marmalade, which has a distinct flavor and isn’t as sweet as others. For the rum, I used my trusty Bundy, brought back from a long ago trip to Australia. A rich, dark rum, Bundaberg, a classic molasses based rum. Now, fill the shaker with ice, and pour about 3 ounces of a strong ginger beer over the muddle. I also used Bundy Ginger Beer, but you can use any strongly flavored ginger beer. Just don’t use ginger ale! Ginger ale uses the least amount of ginger and doesn’t give you the zip you need.
Finally, float an ounce of ginger liquor on the top, and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end. I used Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, but there are some wonderful craft ginger liquors that you can use as well. This adds an extra punch of ginger which really is delicious.
Now for the secret ingredient: Bitters come in all forms, and can impart distinctly different flavors in your cocktails. In this case, I started with 2 dashes of Scrappy’s Cardamon bitters. Cardamon is a unique flavor, and one that is present in most West Indian (and east Indian) cooking. It makes a fine partner for ginger indeed. Finally, a dash of lime bitters which is the pure essence of fresh lime, and brings out the flavors of the ginger and fresh lime juice, brightening the cocktail and giving it zing.
Shake your booty and strain in to your favorite glass!
Voila, a fresh Ginger Linebacker has come home to you. Stay tuned for more about bitters, and next week’s cocktail, an Old Fashioned with a modern kick!
Enjoy!
