Mead, the beverage made by fermenting honey, may evoke thoughts of pirates and vikings. But while the ingredient itself, delicious and versatile, goes beyond that trope, Chelsea DeMark, the bar manager at Bar Julian at the Thompson Savannah, turns a cocktail incorporating mead into something decidedly downtown.
The Nice List has big Cosmopolitan energy, employing vodka, Cointreau, lemon, and spiced cranberry syrup, all balanced out by a half-ounce of peach mead. “We use a local peach mead to add beautiful blossom notes and let the fruitiness of the raw honey really shine,” says DeMark.
Why mead? “Mead can be really versatile,” says DeMark. “I find that it adds complexity to cocktails based on vodka. It can be an excellent addition to sour, refreshing-style cocktails or, alternatively, add structure to spirit-forward cocktails.”
Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel.
*Spiced cranberry syrup: Add 3 cups 100% cranberry juice, 15 grams orange peel, 5 grams whole cloves, and 5 grams cardamom into a saucepot and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 cups white granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon orange blossom water, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool completely before using. Will keep, tightly sealed and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
