Cocktail Experts Reveal: How To Add Sweet Potato To Your Drinks this Holiday Season!
SWEET POTATO SEASON IS IN FULL FORCE!
With the holidays around the corner, there’s no better time to try a unique recipe to give your cocktails a cozy touch. This recipe came to us last week while we were preparing to host a cocktail class to celebrate a 60th birthday. When we create custom cocktail menus for our clients, we always ask what their favorite flavors are so we can create cocktail magic tailored to each palette. This particular client told us the birthday girl LOVES sweet potato and chai and is just starting to get into bourbon…DING DING DING! Let’s make a Sweet Potato Chai Syrup and craft some Sweet Potato Whiskey Sours & Old Fashioneds!
YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 chai tea bags
STEP ONE: ROAST YOUR SWEET POTATO
Preheat oven to 425°. Carefully stab your sweet potato with a fork. This will allow it to cook evenly. Roast in oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven and size of sweet potato. You’ll know your potato is ready when juices start slightly oozing out of the fork holes.
STEP TWO: MAKE CHAI TEA
Steep two chai tea bags in two cups of boiling water for 7-9 minutes. (Follow the steep instructions according to the tea you purchase). We love Yogi brand tea – great price, great flavor and motivational quotes on every tea bag.
STEP THREE: HEAT ON STOVE
Once your sweet potato is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and add to a medium saucepan with 2 cups chai tea and 2 cups white sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 3 minutes. Turn off heat.
STEP FOUR: BLEND
Don’t burn yourself! Carefully pour your sweet potato, chai and sugar syrup mixture into a high powered blender. We LOVE our Ninja. Blend on high for 10-20 seconds or until your syrup is completely smooth and free of any chunks.
STEP FIVE: BOTTLE
Once your syrup has cooled a bit, store in a mason jar with a tight lid. Your syrup with last 2-3 weeks in the fridge. To extend the shelf life, add a tablespoon or two or vodka or white rum.
Okay, I made it. Now what?
Time to make Sweet Potato Whiskey Sours and Old Fashioneds!
SWEET POTATO WHISKEY SOUR
- 2 oz wheated bourbon (i.e. Maker’s Mark, Larceny, Weller – we find that wheated bourbons work best in whiskey sours)
- 1.5 oz sweet potato chai syrup
- 3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 egg white
- Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg
DIRECTIONS: Shake all ingredients with ice until well-chilled, strain cocktail out and dump ice. Re-shake cocktail without ice in a circular motion to whip the egg whites. Pour over a couple fresh ice cubes in a rocks glass. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
SWEET POTATO OLD FASHIONED
- 2 oz rye or bourbon
- 1/2 oz sweet potato chai syrup (add more if you prefer sweeter drinks)
- 4 dashes Angostura Bitters or Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters if you can find it!
- 1 orange peel
DIRECTIONS: Add orange peel, syrup, and 4 dashes of bitters into a mixing glass. Muddle. Add 2 oz of rye or bourbon, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain over large cube. Express a fresh orange peel over glass, wipe rim and drop in glass.
