Peach Cobbler Bourbon Slush
Peaches and Bourbon - original watercolor painting by the Cocktail Artist |
We came across a recipe for a Peach, Ginger and Bourbon frozen cocktail in Bon Appetit magazine a couple of years ago. We need to give them credit as the inspiration for our recipe, but we've made quite a few changes. When we make peach cobbler we use cardamon, brown sugar, and ginger - so those are the flavors we've added to this cocktail. They also work really well with bourbon, and here we used a wonderful Virginia Bourbon from A. Smith Bowman Distillery that a friend gave us as a gift. Perhaps this bourbon is a bit "too good" for a cocktail with so many other ingredients, but we do want to taste the liquor in our cocktails, and this one comes through beautifully. You could always make a "mocktail" version of this recipe by eliminating the bourbon (maybe we'll have to try that sometime) or use any other bourbon you like.
This recipe makes two large (12 ounce) drinks or three regular (8 ounce) cocktails. There are a number of steps involved in creating the cocktail, but most of it can be done ahead (and in the end it's completely worth it!).
Peach Cobbler Bourbon Slush
8 ounces (by weight) frozen fresh peach slices (about 2 cups)1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
6 ounces bourbon
1 1/2 ounces fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces brown sugar simple syrup (see recipe below)
2 dashes cardamon bitters
1 cup (or less) ice cubes
Cut and peel fresh peaches and place them on a jellyroll pan lined with parchment paper. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for several hours. In order to get the freshest taste from the peaches, prepare and freeze them only a few hours before you plan to make the cocktail.
Blend all ingredients in a blender, and pour into Collins glasses or mason jars. Garnish with a peach or a lemon wedge.
Recipe makes 2 - 12 ounce cocktails or 3 - 8 ounce.
Fresh peaches from the farm market and Virginia whiskey - the inspiration for our cocktail and original art |
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup
Put one cup light brown sugar and one cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a low boil, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Funnel syrup into a bottle and refrigerate. Syrup keeps for 2 to 3 weeks refrigerated.A preliminary sketch for the watercolor painting |