In celebration of our latest release of Castle Long Reserve, we partnered with a seasoned bartender to create a truly unique Five Pawns-inspired cocktail. Jefferson VanBilliard, of McFadden Public Market in downtown Santa Ana, created a Toasted Coconut CLR Old Fashioned, and it is just as delicious as it sounds. Below he shares his recipe and a couple of Pro Bartender tips so you can recreate this cocktail at home. If you're local, feel free to visit Jeff at the latest food hall to hit Orange County, California. Don't miss out on the exciting "barcade" upstairs called Mission Control, where you can play your favorite arcade games while sipping on this special libation.
TOASTED COCONUT SIMPLE SYRUP
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar to 1 cup water
1 cup shredded coconut
Set over to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and bake until slightly brown (about 10 min). Remove the coconut from the oven and allow it to cool. Using a non-reactive container (example: glass mason jar) add in the simple syrup mixture of sugar and water. Add in the toasted coconut and allow it to infuse overnight in the refrigerator. Remove and strain the solids, leaving a flavorful coconut simple syrup liquid. Store in a sealed container for future use.
TOASTED COCONUT CLR OLD FASHIONED
Ingredients:
2 oz. Rum
1 bar spoon of coconut syrup
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
1 orange - peel for garnish
Directions:
Add Toasted Coconut syrup, Rum and Angostura Bitters to a mixing glass. Add ice cubes and stir. Pour into serving glass and add ice. Garnish with an orange peel. Enjoy!
Total time: 5 min | Prep: 25 min | Serves: 1
BARTENDER TIP:"Stirring takes a little practice but keeping two things in mind, you'll pick it up in no time! Stir, don't slosh, and ALWAYS taste. Stirred drinks are built in the mixing glass (pint) and the ice is added on top of the drink. This is to allow complete control over the dilution. The spoon is held between the middle and rings fingers like a pencil, and placed into the mixing glass with the back of the bowl touching the inside wall of the glass. The spoon is then used to spin the ice around the drink. The back of the spoon remains touching the inside of the glass as it rotates the ice. Take care not to slosh the ice in the glass, as this will introduce air into the drink, and this is NOT what we want. Remember: we're STIRRING not SLOSHING." - Jeff VanBilliard
