The Yams
Like the Thanksgiving meal from which it borrows it’s flavours, Laidlaw’s split-base cocktail provides a beautifully balanced bridge between seasons. The gin’s bright botanicals and the falernum’s fresh lime and tropical ginger “evoke the blast of summer vacation,” Laidlaw notes. But the dusty pepperiness of the rye and the spice in the sweet-potato syrup bring it forward to fall. The Campari’s orange-peel bitterness ties it all together.
INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 oz rye whisky
• 3/4 oz gin
• 1/2 oz Campari
• 3/4 oz lemon juice
• 3/4 oz sweet potato syrup*
• 1/4 oz falernum syrup**
GARNISH
• orange twist
• sprig of thyme
METHOD
Combine ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and shake well. Double-strain into a large rocks glass over fresh ice.
*Sweet Potato Syrup. Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Prick a medium sweet potato, transfer to middle rack and bake until soft — about 40 minutes. Cool, split, and scoop flesh into a saucepan. Add 2 crushed cinnamon sticks, 10 cloves, 10 crushed all spice berries, 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) brown sugar, and 250 ml (1 cup) water. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved — about 20 minutes. Strain, transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
**Available in specialty stores and online.
