Fairfield County Look - Holiday Warmers

Holiday Warmers

By Ektoras Binikos, Founder of Art & Spirit Mixology

Photographs by Simon Jutras

There is nothing more rewarding for a bar chef than to create recipes that translate the essence of the season. The upcoming festivities are for most of us our favorite time of the year and today we’ll teach you how to make two fantastic cocktails, just in time for your holiday entertaining.

Please note that the predominance of fruit and acid in those two concoctions pairs well with almost any cold-weather meal.

Holiday Mulled Wine

Ingredients:
One 750- milliliter of white wine
One 750- milliliter of red wine
8 oz of apricot brandy
8 oz of peach schnapps
10 oz of Moscato di Asti
1 cup brown sugar
2 oranges
40 dried apricots, finely diced
30 dried cherries
12 cloves
10 pieces of whole star anise
6 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
10 drops old fashion bitters

Preparation:
To prepare the base, peel the rind from the oranges and set aside. Cut the peeled oranges into ¼ inch slices, discarding any white pith.

Toast all spices in a heavy bottom pot until they release their aromas – about 2 minutes.

In the same heavy pot, add 2 oz of water and all the non-alcoholic ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, stirring often, until the cherries and apricots are very soft and the mixture reduces to almost a glaze, about 30 minutes.

Add the wine, brandy schnapps and moscato and simmer until hot. DO NOT ALLOW THE MIXTURE TO BOIL.

To serve, ladle the mulled wine into mugs or very thick glasses. Add a cinnamon stick and an orange slice to each mug or glass and serve.

Glassware:
Mug or wine glass that's heat resistant.

The Pear Tree

Ingredients:
2 oz Grey Goose pear vodka
1/2 oz Cointrau
1 oz elderflower cordial
2 cardamom seeds
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes old fashion bitters
1/4 oz egg whites
3 slices of fresh pear
1 oz lemon juice

Preparation:
In a shaker, muddle the pear slices with the orange bitters, elderflower and cardamom.

Add all the other ingredients, shake well with ice, then double-strain into a martini glass.

Grate a small amount of fresh cinnamon on top.

Add 2 dashes of Old Fashion bitters.

Garnish it with a small pear slice.

Glassware:
Martini glass

Master Mixologist Ektoras Binikos (formerly the Head Mixologist at the 3 star Aureole and Oceana restaurants)is a creative force in the “New American Cocktail Renaissance”. His award-winning cocktails reflect the pure and natural ethos of our new American global cuisine, featuring fresh, exotic ingredients in surprising combinations.

Born in Greece and educated in Athens and New York, Ektoras possesses a distinguished background as a multi-media artist that informs his approach to mixology. To him, the perfect cocktail should please the eye and nose as well as the palate; it should provide a transcendent experience that amazes and excites. To that end, he immerses himself in the process of creating beautiful and original concoctions that achieve balance between sweetness, dryness, and sharpness. Fresh fruits and herbs figure prominently in his creations, lending their flavors, textures and colors through a variety of alchemical techniques.

Art & Spirit Mixology
Please visit us at www.artandspiritmixology.com