The Accelerant

Thirsty Readers, thirst no more. Your BloomingtonGirl is back and not only is she back...She is back with possibly the most interesting and delicious cocktail she has ever made. You can be the judge, but I'm telling you. It is an incredibly sexy cocktail brimming with maximum deliciousness.

My guess is that not one person reading this will go to the trouble of making this complex drink, except for maybe Tyler Ferguson or Richard Gagnon.

Still, I implore you to try it! Do not to be put off by the steps involved. You will be rewarded by the experience of imbibing a truly special, nay! a truly ethereal libation. It is that good.

This is an excellent cocktail to serve at a dinner party, right before dinner. Why? Because the unusual and unexpected flavors conspire to make one of these drinks enough. Nobody gets loaded before the first bottle of wine is opened at the table. And also, it is sipped more slowly than most because it has some heat, so you can linger and engage in convivial company. Provided you have invited interesting guests, that is.  If your guests are not interesting, I would reconsider the cocktail choice. Uninteresting guests would be happy with a vodka tonic, so why go to this trouble. On the other hand, why would you invite uninteresting guests over? But I digress.

Without further delay, here is a photo of the drink and the recipe. I can't wait to make this drink again. It is my new favorite. The salt on the rim is pink - it is Pink Himalayan Sea Salt.



The Accelerant

1 1/2 ounces jalapeño-infused mezcal **
1/2 ounce rich sugar syrup **
1/2 ounce freshly made celery juice **
Generous 1/4 ounce Green Chartreuse
3/4 freshly squeezed lime juice
Garnish: Coarse Pink Himalayan Sea Salt (wet the rim of the glass and press it into the salt on a plate)

Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a salt rimmed coupe. Cheers!

** Ingredients:

Jalapeño-infused mezcal - Scrape membranes and seeds from 2 jalapeño peppers, discarding green exterior. Put into a glass jar and top with 8 1/2 ounces of mescal. Let steep for about 10 minutes. Taste for heat. Steep up to 5 minutes more if you want it spicier. Strain out solids.  You could use tequila in a pinch, I suppose, but then you would not get the smokiness that the mescal brings. I think that smokiness is essential to this drink.

Rich Sugar Syrup - Measure 1/2 cup sugar into a heat proof measuring cup or bowl. Pour 1/4 cup boiling water into the sugar. Stir until dissolved. (Or almost dissolved. Doesn't have to be perfect.) Let it cool. Alternatively,  you can combine the ingredients in a small sauce pan, bring it just to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir until dissolved.

Celery Juice - If you have a juice extractor, make it according to the manufacturer's directions. I made mine in my Vitamix Blender, adding some water to get it going. This was a sort of trial and error thing for me. I strained the puree through a very fine mesh strainer to get the juice. I don't know if a less powerful blender will work. Or, you can consult the oracle, www.google.com for different instructions.  A few stalks will make a generous amount. The juice is fresh tasting and a pretty color and I am sure it has some magic medicinal qualities.