Happy Friday again everyone. We’re back again this week with another cold weather special since it’s still winter and the weather is crap. Have I mentioned I much prefer summer? I digress. This week’s cocktail comes courtesy of Rikki Tikki Deadly via The Fog Room in Seattle. Of which, upon a quick google search, looks like a fantastic stop the next (or first) time I end up in Seattle.

1/4 oz ginger syrup
1/4 oz demenana syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 and 1/2 oz bourbon
1 small dash angostura bitters
Top up with hot water

It’s warming, not very boozy overall, but tasty. I liken it to a hot toddy for people that don’t like tea. What separates this from the run of the mill hot toddy, is the addition of the ginger syrup. I get a decent amount of ginger flavor that comes through and it compliments the lemon and the bourbon nicely.

Another advantage the ginger has, is that it helps cut the intensity of the lemon juice, preserving the flavor but keeping it from becoming too sour. I actually ended up adding a little bit more after the first few sips because I liked what it brought to the table, and wanted a little bit more. The same with the angostura bitters as well.

This was certainly tasty on a cold evening. However, I started thinking more about the ingredients and their applications. Now it’s not always the case that syrups are used in hot beverages. For example, honey is used in the aforementioned hot toddy. But usually syrups are used in place of sugars because sugar doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquids. Considering there is the demerara syrup and the ginger syrup are present, what if…we omit the the hot water and make a version on the rocks?

Oh. This is fantastic. The flavors are more intense, but in a good way. They all still work very well together, and if I do say so myself, the omission of the hot water top improves the drink. Though your mileage may vary as far as drink strength goes. As stated before, I prefer my drinks on the stronger side. So, if you’re like me, go with the version on the rocks.