When the pandemic forced The Rockwell Place to temporarily close, cases of beer were left unrefrigerated and therefore unusable. Bartender Alex Kveton devised a sustainable solution: beer syrup, which now has a home in three cocktails on the bar’s menu. Use Your Illusion I.5 plays on the aroma from the Huell Melon hops used in Perennial’s saison, complementing it with cantaloupe syrup.
Use Your Illusion I.5
Alex Kveton | Brooklyn, NY
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 1/2 ounce Cognac, preferably H by Hine
- 3/4 ounce saison syrup (see Editor’s Note)
- 3/4 ounce lemon juice
- 1/4 ounce cantaloupe syrup(see Editor's Note)
- 1 bar spoon ginger syrup (see Editor’s Note)
Garnish: melon ball on a pick
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake until chilled.
- Fine-strain into a coupe.
- Garnish with a melon ball on a pick.
Editor's Note
Saison Syrup
Combine 2 cups saison (preferably Perennial Prism Saison) and 2 cups white sugar in a saucepan over low heat, and whisk until sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour into a container and let rest until foam settles. Skim remaining foam off the top with a spoon.
Cantaloupe Syrup
In a blender, combine equal parts (by weight) cantaloupe and white sugar. Blend about 20 to 30 seconds, until sugar is dissolved but before the mixture becomes over-aerated. Pour through a chinois strainer and allow the syrup to strain on its own (avoid pushing or pressing the pulp); the resulting syrup will be clear and neon orange.
Ginger Syrup
1 1/2 parts unpeeled ginger by weight
1 part white sugar by weight
1 part orange juice by weight
Weigh ginger and divide by 1.5 to determine the amount of sugar and juice. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Use a nut milk strainer bag or cheesecloth to filter the syrup into a container, then squeeze out all the syrup.