SiscoVanilla is Peachy Keen...or is he Part I

I wanted to devote the next two posts to trying out two peach inspired cocktails that I have come across the internet. For today's post, I'm looking at the Peach Bourbon Cooler which is found on the SuperGoldenBakes.com website. You can also find her on Google+: Lucy Parissi. She describes the cocktail as so:

This Peach Bourbon Cooler is refreshing, a little sweet, with a lovely smokey edge. It feels like a grown up cocktail to be sipped while watching True Detective preferably in a darkened room with a ceiling fan whirring overhead.

Peach Berry Cooler
Serves 2
2 ripe peaches, quartered
4 large lemon slices
Small handful of fresh mint
2 tsp sugar
120ml | 1/2 cup | 4fl oz Bourbon (can add bit more if you prefer it really strong)
1-2 tbsp Grand Marnier
Dash Angostura Bitters
Crushed ice to serve

Method
Put the peach, lemon slices, mint and sugar in your cocktail shaker and muddle it with the back of a clean rolling pin. Try to extract as much juice as possible.

Add the bourbon, Grand Marnier and Angostura Bitters and half fill the shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Double strain the cocktail in two rocks glasses filled with crushed or chipped ice. You may want to use a fine sieve as the bits of fruit can block the shaker. Alternatively open the shaker and use a cocktail strainer.

Note: you may want to add a little simple syrup if the peaches are not particularly sweet.

So I made this cocktail as described using Splenda instead of sugar, scaling down the recipe to one serving and making it without the mint. Mint has been hard to find in my neighborhood and the little seedlings I planted have just started to poke their little leaves out of the soil. So alas, no mint.

Though I did have a nice ripe peach to work with so I was anxious to see what came out from this cocktail recipe. Aside from the mint, I made the cocktail as Lucy instructed, scaled back for one serving instead of two. Maybe its me, but I was left yearning for more.

For a cocktail that has two ounces of Jim Beam bourbon, a tablespoon of Grand Marnier, and a dash of Angostura bitters I really can't taste anything past the tartness of lemon juice, a little bit of the peach juice and surprisingly a hint of the Grand Marnier. For all the work that went to muddling and mashing for this cocktail, I find that it's missing something. Now don't get me wrong, it is a pretty smooth cocktail but I wonder if I can reach the same level with peach juice or peach puree and fresh squeezed lemon juice with less mess in the shaker and strainer.

For those of you who have read my posts, you know that I prefer to use fresh ingredients instead of using canned juices and artificial flavors. But the intense muddling, straining and later clean up left me to believe that canned and freshly squeezed just might be easier for this recipe. Here is how I made the canned version:

2oz Goya Diet Peach Juice
0.5oz Fresh Lemon Juice
2oz Jim Beam Bourbon
1tbsp Grand Marnier
1 dash angostura bitters
1 tsp Splenda

Build in an cocktail shake with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a glass with fresh ice.

Though I find that the bourbon stands out a little better in this cocktail, I still find that this version (as the last one) of the cocktail is missing something. Its missing a little oomph. What I think that it needs is some effervescence. It seems to be a little flat.

Club soda, sparkling water, or even a sparkling wine like Prosecco would probably make a difference. It would give the cocktail the little effervescence that it seems to be missing.  I also thought of Ginger Beer, but the spiciness and extra sweetness that some Ginger Beers have might change the profile of the drink too much.

I made an additional cocktail this time topping it off with Seltzer Water and still found it to be lacking. Adding Prosecco would be the next logical step to try but don't have a bottle to open and I'm sure if I did have a bottle, I would find it hard to crack it open to try here. I'm personally just not feeling this cocktail enough.

Like I said earlier in the post, this is a smooth cocktail. I can see trying to make this in a pitcher and serving it in portions at a cookout or a family get together letting people control how much alcohol they add to it. Its just not something that I can see myself serving behind the bar unless I pre-made juice portion.

Thanks to Lucy for piquing my interest with this post. Give her a follow on Google+: Lucy Parissi, Twitter: Supergolden88, Instagram: Supergolden88 and on Tumblr: SuperGoldenBakes for more cooking and cocktail recipes.

For my next post, I take a different peach path by trying out a cocktail recipe that I found entitled Georgia meet Bermuda: Peach Sweet Tea & Rum. Come back and find out how it turned out for me.

Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
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