Ungodly Hour
Photo Credit: Maddelyn Ross/Black Restaurant Week, LLC
ABOUT
So excited to reveal my cocktail for the second round of the Black Restaurant Week virtual cocktail competition sponsored by Maker’s Mark! The theme this time is Herb n’ Flow and I was tasked with creating a cocktail with a fresh herb that was inspired by our favorite song. My cocktail – Ungodly Hour – is inspired by Chloe x Halle’s title track with the same name: Ungodly Hour. In addition to Maker’s Mark bourbon, my Ungodly Hour uses a homemade pear sage syrup. Check out the recipe and our reasoning behind the drink below. Vote for my cocktail here.
Between an unprecedented pandemic and nationwide protests against police brutality, 2020 is definitely a year for the books. Then came Chloe x Halle’s sophomore album Ungodly Hour. The title track, as well as the overall album, perfectly represents what’s been taking place across the country for the past few months. They describe it as: “[d]uring the ungodly hour, you're thinking of all of the insecurities that you have, the ups and downs of your life, everything.” Essentially, America is going though its own ungodly hour. I wanted to create a cocktail to help push us through this time of uncertainty and to find inner peace. My ingredient of choice is a pear sage syrup.
With my pear sage syrup having such a bold flavor, it was important to use a bold whiskey. That’s why I chose Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon as the base spirit for this cocktail. Aged longer than the traditional Maker’s Mark, Maker’s 46 also gets its bold flavor through a wood-stave-finishing process. Ten seared virgin French oak staves are inserted into the Maker’s 46 barrel toward the end of the aging process for about nine weeks. This simple additional step results in a more complex Maker’s with more pronounced sweet caramel, vanilla and wood notes and of course that smooth finish that I love.
Sage can be traced back to Ancient Egypt more than 4,000 years ago where it was thought to promote both wisdom and immortality. In the new world, the Aztecs used the herb for its medicinal properties. Sage was used to cure everything from clearing up mucous to relieving night sweats. It was even used to treat wounds and sore throats.
In addition to its medicinal properties that provide physical healing, sage is also known for spiritual purification and sanctity. Smudging sage, also known as burning sage, is a well known practice developed by Indigenous peoples. It is used to purify negative energy. More than purifying energy, a 2007 study found that medicinal smoke, such as sage, can reduce airborne bacteria by up to 94%.
As an herb, sage is known to have a bitter and pine-like flavor. To avoid having the sage overpower the bourbon, I decided to impart the sweet, crisp, and floral flavors of an Asian pear in the syrup. It’s the cocktail ingredient you never knew you needed. Not only does it taste good, but it’s also good for you.
Lemon juice is added to help brighten the up cocktail. I also used Lillet Blanc, a French wine based Aperitif, as a modifier. A little goes a long way, especially to help compliment the already existing notes in our drink such as citrus, honey, mint and pine. Lastly, a dash of orange bitters are added to help round the cocktail out and add an additional layer of complexity.
This drink is served in a double old fashioned glass. Dehydrated pear slices and a sage leaf are optional garnishes.
Recipe Type: Cocktails
Glassware: Double Old Fashioned
Servings: 1
INGREDIENTS
1.5 oz. Maker’s Mark 46 Bourbon
3/4 oz. pear sage syrup
1/4 oz. Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 dash orange bitters
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare pear sage syrup
Add all of the ingredients to a cocktail shaker
Shake for 20 seconds or until shaker is frosty on the outside
Strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube
Serve