Black Death

Happy February Cover to Cocktails fans! This month we are making a fun drink called Black Death. What is the inspiration for this wacky cocktail you may ask? It is the non-fiction book, Get Well Soon, that discusses the history of various pandemics. My goal was to make something that tasted wonderful, but looked a little dark and puss like to reflect the times of the bubonic plague. I think this drink absolutely fits the bill. It's gloomy and foamy in the best possible way but has a wonderful flavor! We used some dark liquors like creme de cassis and had some fun mixing up food coloring.

It's been a good start to the cocktail year! Susan and I both loved this drink. Even the foam tasted amazing and both of us were licking it off the top like a berry mousse. The flavors were new to both of us in terms of the creme de cassis which is a black current liquor. I had also never had pomegranate juice, so this cocktail was a complete flavor experiment that ended up working extremely well. Susan used a blueberry pomegranate and that also worked great. To add some extra fruit flavors with added some apple vodka and orange liquor. With a fun look and feel, and wonderful berry flavor this drink is one we'll keep making. Until next time have a drink, read a book and be happy!

Jen

Susan

Recipe

2 oz Creme de Cassis (black current liquor)

.5 oz Apple Vodka

.5 oz Cointreau (triple sec or Grand Marnier will also work)

2 drops Black food coloring (see note below)

2 oz Pomegranate juice

1 Egg white

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake for about 20 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass. If you are mixing your own food coloring, adjust the color in the rocks glass as noted below. After adjusting the color of your cocktail in the rocks glass, remove ice from the shaker, add the mixed drink back into the shaker with the egg white and dry shake for 20 seconds. Pour back into the rocks glass. Enjoy!

Note: You can buy black food coloring or use red, blue and green. If mixing your own color, initially add one drop of each color (red, blue and green) into the shaker. After straining the cocktail into the rocks glass the first time, you can adjust the color before adding if back into the shaker for a second shake. Since the liquids are already redder toned, you will need to add some extra blue and green one drop at a time. Stir after each drop until you have a deep black color.