Spirited Conversations: Use peppers to spice up cocktails

Red, yellow and green, shishito to poblano, the diverse pepper offers varied flavor profiles in myriad colors, textures and heat levels.

Maybe it’s my Korean background or maybe I’m just a sucker for the burn, but I crave spiciness like no other taste sensation. If a dish doesn’t come with heat, I add my own in the form of sambal, chili pepper water, chili flakes or chopped jalapeno.

Like food, some cocktails benefit hugely from the addition of spice, or even just the flavor of the pepper to build complexity and layers of flavor.

This month I’m focusing on ways to incorporate various peppers and pepper flavor into cocktails: making syrups, creating purees or simply muddling pepper directly into a drink. You pick your poison and heat level.

THE HUMBLE gin and tonic is seeing a resurgence due to the popularity of the “Spanish” G&T, which basically takes the simple cocktail and gussies it up with a variety of seasonal fruits/herbs/spices, used to garnish the cocktail in a larger glass.

Noir is a little riff on that style, adding some depth with a small amount of black pepper syrup. The syrup doesn’t necessarily make it spicy, but adds warmth to the back of the throat and a richness that only black pepper can. Balanced with grapefruit notes from Aperol, this is a delicious aperitivo that can be enjoyed at any time of day.

Be sure not to skimp on the tonic; get the good stuff. I prefer a naturally light version from Fever-Tree because of its lower sugar content, which doesn’t leave the cloying mouthfeel that some high-sugar tonics can.

NOIR

By Chandra Lucariello

• 3/4 ounce lime juice
• 1/4 ounce black pepper syrup (see note)
• 1/2 ounce grapefruit-forward liqueur (like Aperol)
• 1-1/2 ounces citrus-forward gin (like Plymouth or Aviation)
• 3 ounces high-quality tonic (like Fever-Tree Naturally Light)

Combine lime, syrup and liquors in large wine glass. Fill with ice and top with tonic.

>> Garnish: Thin grapefruit wheel, kaffir lime leaf and black peppercorns

>> To make black pepper syrup: Bring 2 cups sugar, 1-1/3 cup water and 1/4 cup coarse ground pepper to a boil, then simmer 2 minutes. Cool and strain.

THIS COCKTAIL is called “Roulette” because of the use of shishito peppers, which are infamous because 1 in every 10 or so is very spicy. The fun comes from not knowing if your drink will end up being hot or not.

The inspiration came to me while enjoying one of my favorite bar snacks, a bowl of blistered shishito peppers at Nobu Honolulu. I wondered how I might be able to translate the flavors into a libation, and Roulette was born.

The component that brings it together is toasted sesame salt, which acts as sesame oil would on blistered shishitos, and really makes the drink sing.

ROULETTE

By Chandra Lucariello

• 2 shishito peppers, blistered and sliced
• 1/2 ounce rich simple syrup (2 parts sugar dissolved in 1 part water)
• 3/4 ounce lime juice
• 1 barspoon (about 1/2 teaspoon) yuzu juice (available at Japanese markets like Marukai or Don Quijote)
• 1/2 ounce triple sec (like Combier)
• 1-1/2 ounces blanco tequila (like Fortaleza or Codigo)

Muddle (crush) peppers with lime and simple. Add yuzu, liquors and ice. Shake and fine strain over ice into pre-rimmed bucket

>> Garnish: Blistered shishito peppers on bar pick, toasted sesame salt (below) on rim

>> To make toasted sesame salt: Combine 2 parts toasted sesame seeds with 1 part sugar and 1 part sea salt in blender and pulse until fine.

DELVING INTO the savory, the Green Giant take the simple Vodka Collins to new heights, cutting the alcohol with blanc (sweet white) vermouth, adding spicy serrano syrup and fresh cucumber cilantro juice for a fresh kick.

If you don’t want to juice the cucumber and cilantro, substitute three cucumber wheels and two cilantro sprigs and muddle them right into the cocktail.

For the pepper component, though, I suggest making the syrup, as every pepper’s heat varies — muddling fresh could give you an overwhelmingly hot cocktail, or completely mild, while the syrup creates consistency.

To up the savory ante even more, add a pinch of fleur de sel, or add it to half of the rim.

GREEN GIANT

By Chandra Lucariello

• 1/2 ounce cucumber-cilantro juice (10 parts Japanese cucumber to 1 part cilantro, juiced)
• 1/2 ounce serrano syrup (see note)
• 1/2 ounce lime juice
• 1 ounce blanc vermouth (like Lillet, Dolin or Alessio Bianco)
• 1 ounce vodka (like Grey Goose or Absolut Elyx)
• 1-1/2 ounce high-quality club soda (like Fever-Tree)

Combine juices, syrup and vodka in mixing glass with ice. Shake, then strain over ice into highball glass. Top with club soda, stir to combine.

>> Garnish: Thin cucumber fan and cilantro sprig.

>> To make serrano syrup: Bring 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water and 1 roughly chopped serrano pepper (including seeds) to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Cool and strain.

THE SWEETNESS of roasted red bell peppers marries beautifully with smoke from mezcal in this next drink. Instead of heat it has layers of flavor, from red bell pepper puree, sweet honey and herbal chartreuse.

This cocktail would also be delicious with the addition of heat … add a couple dashes of Tapatio or other hot sauce, or garnish the rim with some kiawe-smoked salt and a little cayenne.

ROJO

By Chandra Lucariello

• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce red bell pepper puree (see note)
• 1/2 ounce honey syrup (5:1 mix of honey to hot water)
• 1/2 ounce Yellow Chartreuse liqueur
• 1-1/2 ounces mezcal (like El Silencio Espadin or Del Maguey Vida)
• 1 ounce high-quality club soda (like Fever-Tree)

Combine lemon juice, puree, syrup and liquors to mixing glass with ice. Shake and pour through a fine mesh sieve into highball glass filled with more ice.

Top with club soda, stir.

>> Garnish: Thin lime wheel with cilantro sprig and red bell pepper slice

>> To make red bell pepper puree: Roast 2 red bell peppers (halve them first) under a broiler until blackened. Remove skins, seeds and core. Slice and puree in food processor with salt and cumin to taste; gradually adding 1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil.

Chandra Lucariello is director of mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits. Ingredient note: The liquors and liqueurs used in these recipes are widely available from Oahu liquor stores and some supermarkets.