Toasting the Season
Spicy bourbon balances the lush fruitiness of blackberry and orange liqueurs for a robust cocktail for holiday soirées
Cocktail connoisseurs will find a perfect blend of bitter and sweet in the J McDaniel.
During Louisiana’s fall harvest, our anticipation for Thanksgiving accelerates as November’s sweetest satsumas abound at roadside stands, backyards are strewn with the cracked husks of pecans destined for holiday pies and the tantalizing aroma of cinnamon-laced Beauregard yams are bubbling in ovens throughout Acadiana.
The J McDaniel craft cocktail, a signature libation created at 121 Artisan Bistro, incorporates the flavors of the season, heightened by the bittersweet tang of Cointreau blended with Chambord’s luscious blackberry, cognac, vanilla and citrus notes, melding seamlessly with the French orange liqueur.
Chambord’s vanilla notes cozy up beautifully with Wild Turkey as the base spirit. It has a classic bourbon flavor but is set apart from its peers with a peppery finish redolent of orange peel, cloves and cinnamon that dances on the tongue. Fresh lemon juice and simple syrup balance the cocktail’s rich, fruity elements. As the ice melts, a cinnamon stick garnish releases its flavor, adding subtle sweetness to the popular drink.
Cocktail connoisseurs may notice the J McDaniel has striking similarities to the Black Demure created by celebrated bartender Franky Marshall, formerly of NYC’s Dead Rabbit (slated to expand into New Orleans’ French Quarter later this year). Chambord prevails instead of Black Demure’s less complex crème de mûre and its lone garnish.
Smooth and refreshing without being too sweet, strong or cloying, the J McDaniel is an easy, crowd-pleasing drink suitable for imbibers interested in exploring bourbon cocktails.
HOME BAR | J McDaniel Cocktail
Pour 2 ounces Wild Turkey, ¾ ounces Cointreau, ¾ ounces Chambord, 1 ounce fresh lemon juice and 1 ounce simple syrup into a cocktail shaker, top with ice, and shake vigorously for several seconds. Strain into a rocks glass, top with fresh ice and garnish with 1 orange wheel and 1 cinnamon stick.
121 Artisan Bistro
121 Dr. Michael DeBakey Dr.
Lake Charles
121artisanbistro.com
