All Natural Mixmasters with Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur.
My cocktail was inspired by my mentor, Robin Vaughn, who hired me at Big Tex. He was a bear in (and bearer of) hospitality. He passed away recently, but he will never leave; he’ll always be the ghost of hospitality and warmness and will continue to inspire all of us. In my interview with him, we talked about equality of service, from the guest who orders a Bud Light to the Sazerac drinker; we talked about his neighbor’s figs and Palomas. I decided to name my drink Bearly Forgotten to represent both Bärenjäger and the man, but perhaps I should have named it Bearly Goodbye. I’ll leave it up to you!
Bearly Forgotten
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Bärenjäger & Bourbon
- 1 1/2 oz. Grapefruit & Fig Shrub*
- 1/4 oz. Manzanilla Sherry
- 1/4 Lemon
- Fresh Grapefruit Peel (for Garnish)
Preparation: Put all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain over fresh ice in a Collins glass and garnish with a wide grapefruit peel.
*Grapefruit & Fig Shrub
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Ruby Grapefruit Juice
- 10 oz. Dried Figs
- 2 Cups Sherry Vinegar
- 1 Cup Local Honey (I used Ziegler’s Georgia Tallow from Georgia)
- 2 Tablespoons Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
- 1 Tablespoon Cloves
- 4 Cinnamon Sticks
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 tsp Salt
Preparation: Put all ingredients, omitting one cup of vinegar, into a saucepan and reduce by 1/3. Strain through a fine strainer, let cool, add remaining vinegar and bottle. Due to varying acid levels in citrus and the honey you use, taste and adjust to your preference.
Meet Christine Jeanine
CHILLED 100 Member, New Orleans
I just moved back to Atlanta after living in New Orleans for 13 years. I’m working at Big Tex in Decatur, Georgia, the perfect place to become a regular. In NOLA, I started in dive bars then worked my way to the premier cocktail scene. My former home was Angeline on Chartres Street. I have one amazing cat, Ms. W. Teazley, and we enjoy relaxing outdoors and running around for no reason.