Winter holidays mean winter weather - whether we're talking about Buffalo or Vancouver. It only seems right to pay homage to one of winter's naughty boys, Jack Frost. All that nipping of noses and whatnot. As you would expect, there are several versions of Jack and his story (including a modern movie where he is a serial killer turned snowman!), but one of our favourites is the modern rendition of Jack in Rise of the Guardians. In this movie he's a sullen teen (kids, only drink this cocktail if you're of age), but a fun-loving and ultimately redeemed sullen teen. For girls (and guys) who like a bad boy, this Frost is for you.
Everything about Frost's signature drink should be ice cold - the ingredients and the glass. We also wanted it clear, like ice .. so we started with a good vodka. But what other flavours? We settled on a unique combo of a little fresh and a little sour - just like Jack.
Jack Frost Cocktail Ingredients:
- 1 oz vodka
- 3 oz lemon drop schnapps
- 1/3 oz peppermint schnapps
- 5 dashes Bittered Sling Western Elderberry Bitters
- 5 dashes Twisted Bitter Black Pepper Bitters
- lemon twist or zest for garnish
- cocktail or martini glass
Put ice-cold liquor in shaker over ice. Shake. Dash bitters into shaker. Swirl lightly to mix. Strain into frozen cocktail or martini glass. Top with a twist of lemon.
Cocktail Notes:
During the month or so of planning we did for this calendar, the Jack Frost was one of the most (if not the absolute most) problematic concoctions. The idea for the blend of lemon and mint was Kate's and she was obsessed with it working. To that end, we tried 10 bitters options to see if we could get the bitters to really highlight the lemon and keep the mint present but not too overpowering. For the cocktail nerds amongst you, here are the notes:
- Napa Valley Bitters Meyer Lemon Sage (this was the original plan) - good with the peppermint, but doesn't support the lemon
- Bittered Sling Grapefruit and Hops - good for the peppermint, but kills the lemon
- Bittered Sling Orange and Juniper - makes the peppermint smoother, but takes out the lemon
- Bittered Sling Moondog - good w/ the peppermint but doesn't help the lemon
- Dillon Bitter Cranberry - mmm tastes like Christmas … Cough Syrup
- Twisted Bitter Black Pepper - raises the profile of the lemon, softens the peppermint
- Fee's Orange - all orange, all the time, no.
- Bittered Sling Western Elderberry - YEAH though the sour in the lemon takes a tiny hit
- House Made Celery Bitters - no, makes everything too sweet
- Dillon Bitter Lemon - good, not great
(Yes, we really did try all these combos - though not on a full cocktail each. We became quite expert at making a teaspoon of this cocktail.)
After all the testing, we settled on a combo of the elderberry and black pepper bitters. It STILL doesn't highlight the lemon as much as Kate would like, but is really tasty and interesting.
Inspiration:
Rise of the Guardians is (IOHO) an under-rated holiday movie. This is the scene where Jack becomes a Guardian. You get a glimpse of some of the quirky humour in the movie as well as the great work by the actors.
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