Last week, I was about to sweeten a glass of rye with a bit of grenadine when I realized that I had more interesting options, like maple syrup! But then I remembered that I had an even more interesting option:
I poured about a teaspoon of it into the bottom of the glass, swirled it with bourbon and a dash of orange bitters, and then stirred an ice cube into that after all the jam was dissolved into the beverage. It was delicious. I've made this and variations on it several times in the last week, and I've enjoyed all of them.
(Current contenders for names for this drink, btw, are Muddled Wit, Dark Harvest, and Sultry Midnight. Other suggestions welcome!)
And this has opened up a whole new world of mixology for me: jams, jellies and preserves! There are so many good ones! Why is this news to me? Heck if I know. But what I do know is this:
Marmalade is much better in irish whiskey than it is in vodka. It's actually terrible in vodka, surprisingly so. But it was totally enjoyable in bourbon, tequila, spiced rum, and scotch.
I'm thinking a crepe+drink party may be the best setting in which to explore the various applications of jams, jellies, and preserves to best advantage.