Coulda Woulda Shoulda From Hey Love
Photo: Caroline Pardilla
For this holiday cocktail, Emily Mistell of Hey Love in Portland, Oregon, combines gin with a touch of triple sec, pear brandy, and a housemade cherry cardamom syrup. “Cherry is one of my absolute favorite flavors,” says Mistell. “And cardamom is such a festive flavor to me. I grew up in a family of bakers, so there was always the smell of cardamom swirling around in the air at my house during the holidays. It only seemed right to put the two together.”
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. gin
- 1/2 oz. triple sec
- 1/4 oz. pear brandy
- 1 oz. cherry cardamom syrup
- 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
- 2 dashes cardamom bitters
- ____________________
- Cherry Cardamom Syrup
- 8 oz. white sugar
- 8 oz. water
- 16 oz. frozen cherries
- 1/2 tsp. high-quality vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 cracked cardamom pod
- 10 dried hibiscus flowers
- pinch of kosher salt
- Tools:shaker, strainer, fine mesh strainer
- Glass:rocks
- Garnish:grapefruit peel
Preparation
Add all of the ingredients to a shaker along with ice, shake, and double strain into the chilled glass. Add ice. Garnish.
Cherry Cardamom SyrupAdd all of the ingredients to a pot over medium heat. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Turn the temperature down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off and let sit until cooled, then strain. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.