I did a fall cocktail event with Buckeye vodka earlier this month, so be prepared for some more Buckeye vodka recipes over the next month-ish. Since the fall and winter tend to be more dark liquor months, I tried to incorporate some fall/winter types of flavors into vodka cocktails for them. This one would be lovely for a Christmas-ish or New Years party. I'd never even tried quince prior to making this syrup, but I was extremely pleased with the result!
For those of you who don't know about quince fruit, historians and mythologians are pretty certain that it was the "apple" referenced in the Garden of Eden, and any golden apple references in Greek and Roman mythology (like the one Eris inscribed and tossed to Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera that essentially started the Trojan War). The raw taste is very dry, tart, and somewhere between an apple and a pear. I also read that they have ties to the rose family--hence the intoxicating scent, I'm guessing. To get real flavor out of it you want to make it into a syrup or jam, really. I made a very easy simple syrup. I peeled and diced three quince fruit and brought it verrrrrrrrrry slowly to a boil with about 30oz sugar and 30oz water (I typically use Store and Pours to measure for my syrups...ha) and then strained out the diced fruit. The syrup turned a gorgeous pink color with an incredibly intoxicating scent as it simmered.
Rose of Eris
Glass: Champagne flute
Method: Shake and Strain
Garnish: Long lemon twist
Ingredients:
1 oz Buckeye vodka (Ciroc might be a great substitution for those not in Ohio)
.75 oz Quince simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
Shake with ice and strain into a champagne flute. Top with prosecco and garnish. Indulge.
