Fred Thompson - 50 Rousing Recipes for a Classic American Spirit

50 Rousing Recipes for a Classic American Spirit

Fred Thompson

washington apple
ServeS 1

At a barbecue festival in Franklin, Tennessee, I ran into a young woman
named Amanda, who told me about this recipe. It’s absolutely delicious and
seems to be trendy throughout the country. Think of it as a Cosmopolitan
with brown liquor.

    Ice cubes
    11⁄2 ounces bourbon
    11⁄2 ounces Apple pucker
    11⁄2 ounces crAnberry juIce
    1 Apple slIce or wedge (even better Is A drIed Apple slIce),
      for gArnIsh

1  Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Pour the bourbon, Pucker,
and cranberry juice into the shaker. Shake vigorously until the drink is cold.

2 Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with the apple, and serve.

                                                 updated, newfangled, and full of fruit 3

hot buttered bourbon
ServeS 20

While we’ve all heard of hot buttered rum, and most of us have managed to
have at least one during the cold winter months, I find that bourbon height-
ens the flavor and gives this classic drink a mellowing goodness. I’ve given
you this recipe in a party quantity, and it even has a couple of make-ahead
steps. So for Christmas, New Year’s, or just-because-it’s-January parties, give
this one a try.

    2 cups (4 stIcks) unsAlted butter, softened
    1 pound lIght brown sugAr
    1 pound confectIoners’ sugAr
    1 tAblespoon ground cInnAmon
    1 tAblespoon freshly grAted nutmeg
    1 quArt hIgh-quAlIty vAnIllA Ice creAm, softened slIghtly
    one 750-mIllIlIter bottle bourbon
    4 quArts hot brewed coffee
    20 cInnAmon stIcks, for gArnIsh
    11⁄4 cups whIpped creAm, for gArnIsh

1   Put the butter, brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar, ground cinnamon, and
nutmeg in a large bowl. With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat until
light and fluffy, much as you would sugar and butter for baking. Stir in the ice
cream. Pour the mixture into an airtight container and freeze until firm.

2   Combine the frozen ice cream mixture, bourbon, and hot coffee in a large
punch bowl. Stir until the mixture begins to combine. Ladle into Irish coffee
or regular mugs and serve. Have the cinnamon sticks and whipped cream
available for folks to garnish their hot buttered bourbon.

  note: If you like, you can keep the ice cream mixture on hand in the freezer
  for up to 2 months.

  variation: To make just one serving of Hot Buttered Bourbon, combine 3
  tablespoons of the ice cream mixture, 3 tablespoons bourbon, and 3⁄4 cup
  hot coffee in a large mug. Stir until well combined. Garnish with a cinnamon
  stick and 1 tablespoon of the whipped cream.

                                                                  piping hot and icy 5

tea and bourbon highball
ServeS 8

I love combining tea and bourbon, especially when there are notes of orange
and mint. This is a perfect party cocktail—allowing you to make it ahead and
serve it with fanfare but without much effort. The recipe easily doubles.

    11⁄2 quArts (48 ounces) brewed blAck teA
    Zest of 2 orAnges
    16 ounces mInt sImple syrup (see note)
    16 ounces sIngle-bArrel bourbon
    Ice cubes
    8 fresh mInt sprIgs, for gArnIsh

1 In a 2 ⁄ -quart pitcher, combine the tea, orange zest, simple syrup, and
           1
               2

bourbon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2  To serve, fill highball glasses with ice cubes and pour the bourbon-tea
mixture into each glass. Garnish with mint sprigs, and serve.

  note: To make mint simple syrup, follow the directions for Simple Syrup
  (page 00), but add 1 bunch mint (about 3 ounces) to the sugar and water
  and discard the mint after the syrup has cooled.

6 BourBon for a crowd

that horse race pie
“That horse race” is the Kentucky Derby, and this pie is a tradition for Derby
Day parties. Can’t call it a Derby Pie, though, because a bakery in Louisville
gets real upset. This pie is too good for just one day. The chocolate, bourbon,
and nuts just blend to perfection. It travels well, making it great for potlucks
and family reunions. Make this pie often.

    1 refrIgerAted pIe crust for sIngle-crust pIe or your own
        unbAked pIe crust
    2 lArge eggs
    1
      ⁄2 cup plus 1 teAspoon grAnulAted sugAr
    1
      ⁄2 cup fIrmly pAcked lIght brown sugAr
    1
      ⁄2 cup (1 stIck) unsAlted butter, melted And cooled
    1
      ⁄2 cup All-purpose flour
    1 cup semIsweet chocolAte chIps
    11⁄2 cups chopped pecAns or wAlnuts, toAsted (I lIke A mIx of both)
    3 tAblespoons kentucky bourbon
    1 cup heAvy whIppIng creAm
    1 teAspoon pure vAnIllA extrAct

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2 Place the pie crust in a 9-inch (not deep dish) pie plate.
3 Beat the eggs, ⁄ cup of the granulated sugar, and the brown sugar in
                   1
                       2

a large mixing bowl until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the butter and
flour and continue beating until smooth. By hand, stir in the chocolate chips,
nuts, and bourbon.

4  Pour into the pie plate. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is
brown. (A toothpick inserted will not be clean when removed but will be just
not quite wet, similar to brownies.) Let cool on a rack.

5  Beat the cream with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar and the vanilla
extract until it forms stiff peaks. Serve with the warm pie.

8 ediBle BourBon

UNCORRECTED BLAD • NOT FOR RESALE

50 Rousing Recipes for a Classic American Spirit
by Fred Thompson

b
     ourbon’s fame derives from its folklore as much as from its flavor, and this
     book lays it all out—the history, the legends, the recipes, and helpful tips
     and tricks, accompanied by stunning four-color photos. Recipes include
classics (Manhattan, Ward 8), new favorites (Lynchburg Lemonade, Mango
Bourbon Sling), hot and cool concoctions (Hot Chocolate “Nog,” Lemon Cooler),
and drinks for a crowd (Whiskey Sour Punch, Mint Julep Sparkler). There’s even
a chapter featuring delicious ways to cook with bourbon, with dishes such as
Salmon with Brown Sugar and Bourbon Glaze and Fred’s Bourbon Balls. Straight
up, mixed in a cocktail, poured in a punch, or whipped into a recipe—however
you enjoy it, bourbon is an old favorite that’s new again.
• The New York Times recently advised, “If you love whiskey but haven’t thought
   of bourbon as being in the same league as a good Scotch, Irish whiskey,
   and even, these days, rye, you owe it to yourself to give it another try. A well-
   made, well-aged bourbon offers a gorgeous spectrum of flavors.”
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that “brown liquor is beginning to
   nudge a nose ahead in popularity. Irish and American whiskeys, including rye
   and bourbon, are getting mixed together in rich, luxurious drinks. Consum-
   ers are looking for drinks that have more history, more flavor.”
• Bourbon distillers such as Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, and Maker’s Mark are ex-
   panding their bourbon production and dispatching sales teams around the
   globe as the traditionally Southern beverage gains popularity worldwide.
• National print, television, radio, and Internet campaigns
• Author appearances at industry events such as IACP and Tales of the
   Cocktail
• Indiebound Advance Access offer

SPECS FOR FINISHED BOOK:
January 2010 publication                               Folklore,
$12.95 hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-55832-400-8
                                                        Flavor,
96 pages, 5 ½ x 8 ¾                                    and Fame
4 color with photos

               The Harvard Common Press • Boston, Massachusetts
                         www.harvardcommonpress.com