Today’s Drink of the Week comes from CHILLED 100 member Greg Goldstein.
Fall is an inspirational time for mixologists.
As folks start thinking about where to go to see the most dramatic fall foliage, we’re thinking about a dramatic seasonal change in our cocktail menus and a shift away from summer’s icy coolers. With The Golden Rose, my thoughts immediately advanced to October’s big beer celebration Oktoberfest when there seems to be parties everywhere.
The Golden Rose is a combination of flavors inspired both by fall and the festival. It offers warm honey notes from Bärenjäger, a traditional German liqueur created to lure bears out of their dens and a favorite for the hunters luring them. I gave it a tropical tone with pineapple and ginger and pulled it all together with the malty finish of an Oktoberfest Lager. A touch of smoked sea salt rounds it out with a nose of a warming kachelofen, a German wood burning stove.
The Golden Rose
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
- 1 oz. Mellow Corn Whiskey
- .5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
- .5 oz. Ginger Mix*
- .5 oz. Pineapple Juice
- 3 oz. German Oktoberfest Lager (Dog Rose Brewery preferred)
- pinch of Smoked Sea Salt
- Honeycomb (to Garnish)
Preparation: Shake all ingredients—except lager, salt and garnish—with ice. Add lager to glass and pour in the shaken cocktail. Add more ice, top with sea salt and garnish with a honeycomb.
*Ginger Mix
Ingredients:
- 1 part Freshly Juiced Ginger
- 2 parts Rich Simple Syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
- 3 parts Citrus Mix (2:1 lime to lemon)
Preparation: Strain ginger through fine strainer. Mix all ingredients together.
Meet Greg Goldstein
CHILLED 100 Member, St. Augustine
Greg Goldstein grew up in New York and on the beaches of Long Beach, Long Island. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Greg worked in kitchens in New York City, the Hamptons and the Caribbean. He eventually settled in Puerto Rico working as a chef at Relais & Chateaux resorts and several highly-acclaimed restaurants. While he was involved in all aspects of hospitality, he decided that beverage was his passion and behind the bar is where he should be.
Greg wanted to bring his knowledge as a chef to the bar. He moved to St. Augustine, Florida and created his own bar program at downtown’s Catch 27, which has Caribbean influences and a focus on high-quality rum.