Cooking Lesson #757: “Hey Cute-y” Bourbon Sour Cocktail

…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? Located about two hours north of Los Angeles, Ojai is one of the most beautiful parts of California. My cousin, Monroe, was the mayor of Ojai. My brother and I used to take the Greyhound to the beautiful Ojai Valley to visit. We loved going to some of the small family farms that grew corn, tomatoes and Cutie tangerines.
 
The trees were nestled into the hills and their  branches were heavy with tiny tangerines—all ripe, all ready to be harvested. What a pleasure it is to pick a Cutie—okay, six or seven—right off the tree and devour them standing in the warmth of springtime sunshine. They’re easy to peel, sweet as can be, not even a hint of pucker, but they’ve still got a wonderful, citrus-y depth. They’re also terrifically juicy.
 
Even at that young age as we stood in the fields, we thought, “Well, this will make a hell of cocktail when I get older” (what can I say?... we were ahead of our time). So, as an adult I went into the test kitchen and started with an earthy thyme simple syrup—it helps balance out the Pixie’s bold, fruity sweetness. I also added a very wee bit of the pucker back in with a half-shot of lemon juice… we like how it brings out the tangerine’s tangy depth.
 
Once the juices and syrup are shaken up with the egg white and a generous pour of good old American bourbon, the cocktail has all the light, fluffy body of a classic whiskey sour, but none of the bite. It’s soft and floral and full of Ojai sunshine.  Good any time… with its lovely peachy color, this cocktail has an elegance well-suited to any grand occasion.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Cool time:  15 minutes
Yield:  1 serving
 
Ingredients 
For the thyme simple syrup
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
12 fresh thyme sprigs
 
For the cocktail
2 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Cutie tangerine juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce thyme simple syrup
1 egg white
Ice
Pixie peel and thyme sprig, for garnish
 
Directions
To make the simple syrup

1. In a small saucepan, combine all the syrup ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until all the sugar has dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and allow the thyme to steep for 10 minutes.
3. Strain the syrup into a jar, discard the thyme, and let the syrup cool.

Note:  The simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

To make the cocktail:

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the bourbon, Cutie tangerine juice, lemon juice, thyme simple syrup and egg white.
2. Shake it like you mean it, vigorously until nice and frothy.
3. Add the ice and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker feels cold and appears frosty.
4. Strain the cocktail into a coupe glass.
5. Garnish with a Cutie peel and sprig of thyme; serve immediately.

ChefSecret:  There are several varieties of these mini, sweet tangerines—any of them will do.

Quip of the Day:  Q. Why did the tangerine stop in the middle of the road?
A. Because it ran out of juice. 
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#Cocktail #HappyHour #BourbonSour #ThymeSyrup #Cuties #Tangerines #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
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