There are many competing theories on creating the best eggnog, and it’s tough to separate fact from fiction. If you have the patience, Alton Brown’s 3-week recipe from his website is an excellent example of the aged approach (although some suggest aging for a year!). Jeffrey Morgenthaler serves an añejo tequila version at his bar Clyde Common in Portland. The version below is more traditional and also comes from Morgenthaler. Try them all!
I created this interpretation of a mai tai for Passover 2020. Bitter, but packs a punch. A riff on the Artichoke Hold, perhaps one of my top 5 cocktails in the book.
Some of our earliest adventures out of the house during lockdown were a few socially- distanced camping excursions with trusted friends. On one trip, I decided to create Mai Tais for a crowd from a great recipe for various big-batch tiki recipes I found on the Lost Tiki Lounge website. The tricky issue here is that proportions don’t scale linearly, as some ingredients (e.g. bitters or strong syrups like orgeat & ginger) are amplified as they increase. I suggest using 1/2 the amount of these types of ingredients, testing and tasting as you go to avoid going overboard. I break the recipe up into the base (spirits themselves) that we can be mixed well in advance. Next up are the “small but potent” elements like syrup and aromatics which I bottle separately. Finally, there’s the citrus, which ideally you would squeeze to order, but can get away with extracting a few hours ahead of time and bottling on ice until ready to serve. You can use a combination of different of rums here, but the best approximation of the original
Any time in the week leading up to your event, mix “base” ingredients (rum and curacao) in a large container, decant into bottles, and store in the fridge.
Pour “small but potent” ingredients (Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice, orgeat) into a small jug, cover, and place in refrigerator.
On the day of your event, squeeze limes as close to party time possible, bottling juice and storing in the fridge.
Make sure you keep all your squeezed lime halves chilled for garnish.
Ten minutes before guests arrive, take out lime halves, Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice, and pre-mixes, giving the bottles a good shake in the process.
When serving, add 21/2 oz. of your “base” pre-mix, 3/4 oz. of the “small but potent” mix, and 1 oz. of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice.
Add ice and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds.
Strain into a double old-fashioned glass over crushed ice.
Garnish with a sprig of (bruised) mint and drop in one of the lime halves.
