Alright folks, this is it! The last food and drink post of 2013! Holy cray cray, batman. I wanted to end the year with a bang, so I decided to set the whole mood for this recipe based on the painting shown above by Bulgarian artist Kostadina Nacheva. Super wintery, yah?

Needless to say, this year felt SO SHORT! To lessen the blow of time flying by faster than Santa on crack and to turn it into something positive (’cause remember, NEVER should you receive the new year on a sour or negative note), why don’t we make a delicious cocktail? Something gloomy, slightly sweet, and somewhat spicy. You can make one (of a few) for yourself or make a bunch for your friends and family for Xmas or NYE! Dunno about you, but I’m totally sold on this.

Let’s get to it!

Easy does it friends.

Ingredients

– Bourbon of any brand you like
– 1 infusing sachet (fancy talk for spice bag)
– Chai tea (the REAL whole leaf tea, not concentrate or flavoured stuff) – about 3 tablespoons per cup is good.
– 1 orange
– 2 teaspoons of honey
– Orange bitters or regular Angostura bitters
– club soda (optional)

Chai Bourbon infusion:

1. Pour some bourbon in a jug or jar, fill the spice bag with chai tea and dunk it in (if the tea comes in a tea bag, just use that instead). If you’re using quite a lot of booze make sure to add more tea. Mind you, you don’t have to use the whole bottle of bourbon, just use as much as needed (you’ll need 2 oz per cocktail). Let it steep for about two hours. Don’t let it soak for too long (say, a day or so) or it’ll taste waaay too chai-y

2. Once you’re happy with the taste of the infusion. Discard the spice bag and get ready to shake.

To make 1 cocktail:

– In a shaker with ice pour 2 oz of chai infused bourbon, 2 teaspoons of honey, a nice piece of orange rind, 3 dashes of bitters, and shake it all up! (shake it well to release the orange scent and to dissolve the honey).

– Pour over an old fashioned glass with ice. Top with a bit of club soda (you can skip this step if you like it strong). Garnish with a star anise and a piece of orange rind.

Friends, this cocktail is so good – dangerously good! It’ll warm your soul and heart so you can embrace the new year with full force. Wishing you all the best for this season and the new year, sending lots of positive hugs your way :)

Salud!

Styling and photos: The Artful Desperado