For Halloween, it’s possible to make a cocktail syrup out of candy corn, but you’ll get a better-tasting cocktail by faking it: Honey and a little salt get you close to the flavor without all the extra preservatives. If you want a Halloween orange color, just add a bit of food coloring to the syrup.
Note: If you’re serving guests and want to garnish their cocktails with candy corn, it’s best to garnish all the glasses at once. Take a piece of the candy and wet the yellow base slightly, then slide it, pressing gently, along the rim of a cocktail glass. The candy’s soft texture will yield to the glass edge, forming a little slit where the candy corn can sit. Move the glasses carefully to the freezer to chill, and set them out only when you’re ready to make the drinks.
Storage Notes: The simple syrup can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Servings: 1 When you scale a recipe, keep in mind that cooking times and temperatures, pan sizes and seasonings may be affected, so adjust accordingly. Also, amounts listed in the directions will not reflect the changes made to ingredient amounts.
When you scale a recipe, keep in mind that cooking times and temperatures, pan sizes and seasonings may be affected, so adjust accordingly. Also, amounts listed in the directions will not reflect the changes made to ingredient amounts.
Tested size: 1 servings
Ingredients
- For the salted honey syrup
- 1 cup honey
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 drops each yellow and red food coloring (optional)
- For the drink
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 ounce salted honey syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Candy corn (optional, see headnote), for garnish
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Directions
Make the salted honey syrup: Combine the honey, boiling water, salt and food coloring (if using). Stir until the salt dissolves and everything is combined. You should get about 1 1/2 cups. Cool completely.
Make the drink: Chill a cocktail glass. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add the bourbon, lemon juice, honey syrup and bitters. Shake hard for 20 seconds, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into the chilled glass, taking care not to knock off the garnish, if using (see headnote).
Recipe Source
From Spirits columnist M. Carrie Allan.
Tested by M. Carrie Allan.
Email questions to the Food Section at food@washpost.com.
