Today’s cocktail is an original from the Bottle Pros Cocktail Kitchen. It employs the use of home-made Walnut Orgeat cocktail syrup. Traditional Orgeat is almond cocktail syrup that was popular in the Tiki Cocktail culture. The classic formula for making Orgeat is to take ground almonds and cook them with sugar, straining the syrup for use behind the bar. We have followed this logic using Walnuts to create a richer, earthier cocktail syrup. While Orgeat is best known for its use in rum based Tiki cocktails we have found it to mix wonderfully with Rye in a creation of our own that we call, The Walnut Divan Cocktail.
The Walnut Divan Cocktail
In a shaker glass filled with ice add:
- 1 ½ Ounces Well-Bred Rye Whiskey (we use Sazerac)
- ½ Ounce Walnut Orgeat*
- ½ Ounce Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Shake and Strain into a Classic Stemmed Manhattan Glass
Top with one Dash of Chocolate Bitters (optional)
Walnut Orgeat
(makes appx 6 ounces)
Take one cup of walnuts and place them on a baking pan. Put in a 200 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes to release the essential oils (careful not to burn).
In a medium saucepan:
Bring 1 ½ cups of water & 1 Cup of White Sugar to a boil. Reduce and simmer.
Add:
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- The zest of one orange
- The toasted walnuts
Shut heat off and let steep till cool. Put everything into a blender or food processor and puree until as fine as possible. Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth pressing out all the moisture from the nuts. The straining is slow going so be patient, every drop of Orgeat is worth it!
The final Walnut Orgeat will be light brown with a milky consistency.
Store refrigerated in a bottle (will keep 7-10 days)
Bottle Pro Blog 