I enjoyed my entire Carnival Cruise, but one of the most memorable moments on the ship was when we got to take a Mixology class at The Alchemy Bar on board. Our intrepid teacher, Iona, led us through several of her signature artisan cocktails. At the risk of sounding like a pyro, my favourite part of the whole thing was learning to put a lighter against a thin slice of orange rind until it sparkled, squeeze it, and make a giant POUF of flame as the oils from the peel ignited over the glass of whatever we’d shaken together.

Dang.

That is WAY more fun than it ought to be.

It’s not all flash bang, though. There’s a reason beyond being all Tom Cruise behind the bar to practice lighting your rinds on fire before adding the twist to your drink; it adds another dimension of flavour. That hint of smokiness elevates the essence of orange to an entirely different level that still manages to be subtle. It’s like a whole new world of mixology.

As soon as I got home, I started messing around with combinations until I came up with one that is now my signature Holiday Drink: the apple cider + burnt orange cocktail. It is perfectly balanced for my not-so-sweet preferences, combining tartly sweet apple cider, a hint of fresh orange juice, orange syrup, orange bitters, and vodka with a burnt orange twist. If that doesn’t fill you with holiday cheer, I don’t know what will!

Cook’s Notes

• First and foremost, you’re going to be lighting something on fire near alcohol which is FLAMMABLE people. Take some basic precautions. Be sure to stand well back from it (don’t hang your face over the glass to see the pretty BOOF!). If you have long hair, tie it back, please! And don’t wear anything flowy or likely to drape into the flame. Make sure you do this on a surface that’s stable and free of things around it that might catch fire. Just be careful about it, okay! Now that we have the safety stuff established, let’s make a cocktail!
• Pick a glass for your cocktail that will allow you to smell it as you drink it. That may sound weird, but the aroma of the drink contributes to the overall ‘finish’ of it when you sip.
• I use THIS orange syrup and THESE orange bitters. Feel free to substitute with another brand if you have one you prefer over those.
• Don’t use spiced apple cider in your Holiday Drink: apple cider + burnt orange cocktail. You want to control the spices that go into this not use someone else’s idea of what should be in it.
• When you slice a strip of the orange peel from your orange, try to make sure it’s about an inch wide and about two or three inches long. In slicing, try to avoid having any of the orange flesh attached to it. If you accidentally cut it away with some on there, you can scrape the orange flesh off with a spoon. No worries! You just don’t want to try to torch the orange twist with the flesh still attached.
• When you DO torch the orange twist, position it like I did in the photo series below for optimal results. You’ll hold the lighter near the bottom of the twist (orange zest side facing the drink) until it sparkles a little. When it does that, quickly squeeze the twist while keeping the lighter lit. There should be a POUF of flame that dissipates quickly. Rub the twist over the rim of the glass, then drop it into the drink.
• Drink responsibly, please!

Holiday Drinks {apple cider + burnt orange cocktail}

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Rebecca Lindamood

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Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 ounces apple cider
• 1 1/2 ounces fresh orange juice
• 1 ounce orange syrup
• 2 ounces vodka
• dash of orange bitters
• 1 strip of orange peel 1 inch wide
• ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Add the apple cider, orange juice, orange syrup, vodka, and orange bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake until the shaker is iced over, strain into a cocktail glass.
• Hold the orange peel (zest side out) to the side of the glass. Hold a lighter against the bottom portion of the peel until it sparkles a little, then, (while the lighter stays lit) squeeze the orange peel to release the essential oils. It should flame up quickly. Rub the rim of the glass with the burnt orange then drop the twist into the glass. Hold the lighter about 4 inches above the glass and sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon over it into the glass. The cinnamon should spark as it drops into the glass. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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