If you like food with heat, you will love this cocktail!
Our friend Scott moved to Australia this week (thankfully temporarily), so we threw him a going-away party. We heard American-style barbecue was hard to come by Down Under, so we planned the party around a huge piece of pork.
We coated a Boston Butt from Oliviers Butchery with B&B seasoning, browned it on the grill, and let it cook for hours in it’s own juices. In the meantime, we mixed up this great cocktail based off of Sean Brock’s recipe from Heritage. We scaled up the recipe to make a pitcher big enough for a crowd.
To make the jalapeño infused vodka, add one sliced jalapeño pepper to a bottle of vodka. Let it infuse for 24-48 hours. If you are in a hurry, you can use more jalapeños for a quicker infusion, but be careful not to let it get too spicy! You may want to test it periodically to gauge the level of heat. For a milder vodka, you could omit the seeds.
To make the basil-infused simple syrup, heat 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a sauce pan. Once it comes to a simmer, remove from heat and add a large stem of basil leaves. Let infuse until cooled.
Shaking the cocktail with ice prior to serving helps add some air and bring the flavors together. Serve garnished with an orange peel and basil leaf.
- 2 cups jalapeño infused vodka (we used St. George Spirits All-Purpose Vodka)
- 1 cup non-infused vodka
- 1 cup basil infused simple syrup
- 4 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
- orange
- basil
- sliced jalapeños
- Add all ingredients to a large pitcher. When ready to serve, shake with ice in a cocktail shaker, and strain into ice filled tumblers. Garnish with a basil leaf and orange peel.