Last Updated on June 27, 2020 by Heather Wibbels
This chocolate lavender sour proves it – chocolate and lavender are secret lovers. You’d never know they meld in such a magical way since they seem so opposite. Chocolate’s earthy bitterness stands apart from the high floral notes of lavender, and you’d think they hated one another. But secretly. . . I’m telling you, they’re in love.
For this week’s #whiskywars challenge I’ve got Sagamore Spirit rye in the driver’s seat as the base spirit, with some lavender syrup, a little chocolate liqueur and a bit of lemon juice to complete the taste.
While many people talk about the peppery and spice notes they get from rye, the way I know I’m drinking a rye is from the rich, syrupy mouthfeel that rye grain gives the spirit. And even if pepper and spice come through, I’m always in love with the way rye feels in the mouth and on the finish, and Sagamore excels in both of those in spades.
Matching that mouthfeel with the lavender’s floral and chocolate’s earthy notes gives you a cocktail that tastes almost like a lavender lemon bar dipped in chocolate. It is a match made in cocktail heaven.
So I’ve shaken up a cocktail that’s sweet and sour and one that lets Sagamore rye shine through and lend the sustaining note throughout the tasting of the cocktail. The combination of the floral lavender and the rich chocolate notes reminds me of an artisanal chocolate bar. It’s a hit at our house. After the first one, I had to make two more because one between the two of us was not nearly enough of this deliciousness.
For those of you curious about the other recipes in the Quarantine Series, I’ll put them here before you skim past to get to the recipe. We had Quarantine Highball week (Highball Whiskey Spritz and a That’s No Moon Lavender Orange Highball, It Ain’t All Sunhine and Peaches, Petals to the Metal Hibiscus Highball and a Root Beer Highball. ) Quarantine Donut cocktails (Maple Caramel Long John, Pecan Sticky Bun cocktail and Blueberry Cake Donut, Boston Cream Cocktail and Apple Fritter Cocktail). Quarantine Juleps, (Breakfast Julep, the Pineapple Sage Rum Julep, Elvis Julep (peanut butter-banana), Root Beer Float Julep, and the Persian Julep (rose-apricot) ). Quarantine Old Fashioneds (Breakfast Wakey Wakey, Smoke and Spice, Home School, Taco Truck, and Campari/Bitter Lessons ). Quarantine Manhattans (Balanced Perfection (Perfect Manhattan), Coffee Manhattan, Chocolate Ginger Manhattan, French Quarter Manhattan, and the Caramel Orange Manhattan.) Quarantine Whiskey Sours (Blackberry Sunset, Whiskey Tiki, Blue Mood Orange, Ya Basic, and Peach Rosemary). Quarantine Smashes (Whiskey Smash, Blackberry Sage Smash, Pineapple Tiki Smash, Strawberry Basil Smash and the Coffee Cherry Smash.)
Lavender Chocolate Sour – As You Wish
Ingredients
- 2 oz Sagamore Spirit Rye
- ½ oz lavender simple syrup
- ¾ oz crème de cacao
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- 1 oz aquafaba or egg white optional
- 3 dashes chocolate bitters
- Garnish: lemon peel and lavender sprig
Instructions
- In a shaker, combine whiskey, syrup, liqueur, bitters and egg white/aquafaba if using. Shake for 30 seconds. Add ice and shake for 30 to 60 more seconds – until the shaker is frosted over and so cold it hurts. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with lemon peel and lavender sprig.
