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Cocktails

Tip Your Bartender: Bad Hunter, Chicago

May 26, 2020

Story: Punch Staff

art: Nick Hensley

Bad Hunter’s closed-loop highball reuses the portion of leeks traditionally discarded in the cooking process to create a vegetal syrup.

Tip Your Bartender is a social media initiative from PUNCH connecting our readers with bar teams across the country via Instagram. We’re asking select bartenders to share their drinks (albeit virtually) and encourage the PUNCH audience to “tip” during the economically uncertain times ahead. 

Between March 30th and May 29th, for every dollar tipped to bar teams, the Bacardi family of brands has generously committed to matching it with an equal gift to our charitable partner, Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.

Send a tip to the Bad Hunter bar staff via Venmo by searching @Vincent-Starble.

Six Leeks Apart

Vinny Starble, Bad Hunter | Chicago, Illinois

Vinny Starble’s closed-loop highball reuses the portion of leeks traditionally discarded in the cooking process to create a vegetal syrup. This seasonal, low-proof refresher combines two powerhouse Latin American spirits: Santa Teresa 1796 rum from Venezuela and Bolivian Singani.

1 ounce palo cortado sherry
¾ ounce Santa Teresa 1796 rum
¼ ounce Singani
½ ounce chamomile leek syrup (see Editors’ Note)
¾ ounce acid-adjusted white wine (see Editors’ Note)

2 dashes saline solution
4 ounces soda water

Garnish: lemon spray or expressed lemon peel, optional green herbs.

Combine all ingredients except soda water into a Collins glass. Stir to combine, top with soda, and gently add an ice spear or large cubes of ice. Garnish with a lemon spray or expressed lemon peel and whatever green herbs available. Serve with a straw.

Editors’ Note

Chamomile Leek Syrup
3 grams chamomile tea (around 2 tea bags)
100 grams leek discard, washed well and chopped into 4” segments
300 grams white sugar
300 grams hot water

Boil water and steep chamomile for 3 minutes. Remove chamomile tea bags and add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Place leek tops in a heavy plastic or vacuum sealed bag and cover with chamomile syrup, sealing tightly. Sous vide the bag at 135F for 1 ½ hours. Remove from heat, let cool and strain out solids. Bottle and refrigerate.

Acid-Adjusted White Wine:
200g full-bodied white wine
100g water
6 grams citric acid powder (this is 2 percent of total weight of water and wine)

Combine ingredients and stir until acid powder dissolves. Bottle with minimal airspace to reduce oxidation and refrigerate. Will keep for about a week.

Order ingredients for this cocktail for delivery via Drizly.

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