Smoke and Mirrors
DIFFICULTY: Complex
We like to play with fire sometimes because Big O and smoke are great friends who like to mix it up. In this instance, we’re smoking with cinnamon, and the results are exciting. The cocktail itself is a perfect wintery blend of wine-based spirits: cognac, Big O, and cream sherry, enhancing each of them in the most wonderfully clean and complimentary way. Let yourself play with fire, too. You won’t get in too much trouble.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ oz Maison Rouge VSOP Cognac
- 1 oz Big O Ginger Liqueur
- ½ oz Cream Sherry
- 1 dash orange bitters
- 2 tbsp coarsely ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Place the ground cinnamon in a tall pile on a heatproof plate.
- With a lighter, light the cinnamon on fire until glowing embers appear. Immediately place the snifter upside down over the burning cinnamon to fill the glass with cinnamon smoke.
- In an ice-filled mixing glass, combine the other ingredients and stir gently until lightly chilled.
- Moving quickly and smoothly, so as to not let too much smoke escape, flip the snifter upright, strain the cocktail into the smoke-filled glass, and quickly top with a blackjack deal to trap the remaining smoke inside.
- Balance on the cards a cube of crystallized ginger on a cocktail pick.
