A Drinking Man’s Game: The Mix

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A Drinking Man's Game: The Mix

As you may know besides cocktail presentation, factoring in fresh ingredients with your recipes is vital. I know I always tend to enjoy them when I do that but then again, who doesn’t right? As of late, I’ve been wanting to spruce up my drinks and I thought to myself; why not make some mixers? Then I thought, you know what; the average drinker probably doesn’t realize how easy it is to make them from scratch. Let’s talk about how homemade mixers will take whatever you’re making to the next level.

Fun fact about me, other than drinking; cooking happens to be one of my favorite pastimes. So I said to myself, self why haven’t I been preparing my own mixers. Especially considering how easy the process can be?. It’s also not only healthier, but think of the cool points you would earn when you pull out a container of some self-made mixers during the cookout or kickback. When I say this idea hit me, I really mean it. With it being the 15 year anniversary of Diplomatic Immunity I just had to. After some running around earlier in the day, I decided to hit the grocery store. By the time I got home it was roughly 9pm, but I was still determined to make these damn mixers. To the disdain of my wife, I started clattering pots and pans around the kitchen without a care in the world. Threatened with verbal assault, I nonchalantly proceeded like a child with a new toy. Determined not to let any distraction stop me from being great! (Rest in peace Toys R’ Us)

A quick search online can get an abundance of recipes for both Simple Syrup and Bloody Mary mix. But you know what, don’t waste your time surfing the internet because The Spirits Detective has got you covered. Let’s start with the Simple Syrup because it’s as simple as a 3rd grade science project. Literally all it takes is sugar and water. To start you just pour 1 cup of sugar in 1 one cup of water. Not hard right? As long as you maintain a 1:1 ratio, you can make as much of this as you like. The other pretty cool thing about Simple Syrup is that you can infuse it and as you already know how I feel about infusion. Infusing your Simple Syrup will enhance the creativity and “beef up” the flavors for sure. This can definitely add a high end feel to the simplest of drinks.

The second mixer as mentioned is a Bloody Mary mix. The cool thing about Bloody Mary’s is that you can get really creative with the cocktail. There are many garnishes and ingredients that you can place on a Bloody Mary which will all give it a little more character. Being that I made a mix for this week’s selection, I’m only going to discuss the production of the mix.
To start the supplies you need are three to four pounds of tomatoes, which will cost no more than $10. After you’ve washed your tomatoes, the next step is to cut them all into quarters. Now this part is up to you but you can also cut the seeds out of as well if you want. Personally, I was too excited for any of that so those seeds stayed in the tomatoes. You’ll find that when you go to juice them later on in the process, most of the seeds get caught in the sieve anyway so it doesn’t matter.

What you want to do next is let the tomatoes simmer in a large sauce pan for about forty minutes. I suggest while you wait to pour up a cup of the funk and catch up on A.D.M.G, nothing like a flashback to an old favorite. After awhile you will start to see the tomatoes liquefy in the pan. This is when things may get a little messy but don’t fret, it’s worth it. For this step, I suggest using a sieve or a cheese cloth. Then you have to squeeze and funnel the remaining juice into a container of your choice. Voila, there is the base of your Bloody Mary mix. The final step is where you’ll spice up your mix. I used a couple pinches of salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, onion powder and added a little water. Done! That’s it, nothing else left to do but to let it cool down.

Making these two mixers for that home bar of yours is not only good for a fresher taste to your cocktails, but it can also be a solid conversation piece. They are relatively inexpensive, and always perfect alternatives to purchasing the mass produced stuff that’s in the grocery store.

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