THE INFUSED SYRUPS
Heavy Syrup
- 2 parts sugar by weight
- 1 part water by weight
Light Syrup
- 1 part sugar by weight
- 1 part water by weight
- Bring water to a boil. Dissolve sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly. Once sugar is dissolved completely, remove pan from heat immediately. (Note: Boiling syrup for an extended period of time will thicken it.)
- Allow syrup to cool.
- Load the Porthole with desired ingredients and check for a good seal before adding syrup.
- Infuse for at least 24 hours in a refrigerator. Infusion times will vary with ingredients.
Tips:
- Heavy syrup is best for infusing fruit. Light simple syrup is best for infusing herbs.
- Only use a filter screen if infusion ingredients can pass though the spout, otherwise leave out for faster filling and pouring.
- Leave an inch of space at the top when filling the Porthole with syrup. Do not immediately insert the stopper in the spout so ingredients can settle and expand.
- Refrigerate when not in use. Remove stopper when not in the refrigerator.
- To make a light, simple syrup that does not require a stove, combine equal parts (1:1) sugar and water in a bottle and shake until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- In place of the recipe above, you can also infuse honey, maple, or agave syrups.
- To extend the life of your syrup, add a tablespoon of vodka to your infusion.
—source: Steelite International
THE RECEIPES of PORTHOLE
MARÍA FÉLIX by crucial detail
- 3 large strawberries
- 1/2 medium sized Navel or Valencia orange
- 2 oz (60g) roasted cacao nibs
- 7 oz (200g) Tequila Blanco (Herencia Mexicana)
- 2 3/4 oz (80g) Grand Marnier
- Wash fruit. Quarter strawberries lenghtwise, stem on, and fan-slice them. Cut orange cross-grain into 1/8” thick slices.
- Arrange 6 strawberry fans in Porthole, alternating skin and pulp facing the glass pane. Sprinkle half of cacao nibs on strawberries. Arrange a layer of orange slices. Sprinkle rest of cacao nibs on oranges. Arrange remaining strawberries, lightly packing the Porthole cavity.
- Close Porthole, tighten screw, squeeze, snug screws, and check for good seal.
- Combine tequila and Grand Marnier.
- Fill Porthole with combined liquids.
- Infuse for a minimum of 30 minutes before sampling, consume within 4 hours (extended infusion of orange rind will turn the infusion bitter).
Tips:
- We highly recommend using Herencia Mexicana Tequila Blanco for this particular cocktail but any quality white tequila with pronounced agave notes should work nicely.
- Sifting the cacao nibs will reduce chocolate dust clouding the infusion.
- To transform María Félix into a spicy La Valentina, add one medium dried chipotle pepper to ingredients.
CIDER by the aviary
Inside the Porthole:
- 7.5g (.26 oz) rare tea cellar cider spice noir
- 1g (.04 oz) allspice, roasted at 350ºF for 10 minutes
- 1g (.04 oz) clove, roasted at at 350ºF for 10 minutes
- 1/2 cinnamon stick, roasted at at 350ºF for 10 minutes
- 2g (.07 oz) nutmeg
- 3g (.1 oz) hibiscus
- 8g (.3 oz) dried cranberries
- 8g (.3 oz) dried currants
- 1 sugar cube
- 16 apple slices, 1/8” thick
- 1 ginger slice, 1/8” inch thick
- 2 sage sprigs, rolled in hands to release oil
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 1 orange zest, removed with peeler, all pith removed
Cocktail to be added (makes two Portholes):
- 67g (2 1/4 fl oz) laird’s apple brandy, 100 proof
- 59g (2 fl oz) white verjus
- 30g (1 fl oz) simple syrup
- 1g (1/32 fl oz) fee’s orange bitters
- 223g (7 1/2 fl oz) water
Assemble the Porthole, checking the seal for good contact. Using a bottle pourer or a funnel, transfer liquid ingredient mix into the assembled Porthole through the spout. Best if poured and sampled in 5-10 minute increments and consumed within 25 minutes of preparation.
BLUEBERRY by the aviary
Inside the porthole:
- 1 whole lemon zest, removed with peeler, all pith removed
- ¼ grapefruit zest, removed with peeler, all pith removed
- 2 strawberries, thinly sliced with stem on, fan, then slice stem off
- 2 mint sprigs, rolled in hands to release oil
- 16 blueberries
- 2 edible marigold flowers
- 4g (.1 oz) freeze-dried pomegranate arils
- 5g (.2 oz) rare tea cellar berry meritage tea
- 1/3 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Cocktail to be added (makes two Portholes):
- 103g (3 1/2 fl oz) bulleit rye whiskey
- 77g (2 5/8 fl oz) white verjus
- 26g (7/8 fl oz) simple syrup
- 31g (1 fl oz) carpano antica formula vermouth
- 2g (1/16 fl oz) angostura orange bitters
- 186g (6 1/4 fl oz) water
Assemble the Porthole, checking the seal for good contact. Using a bottle pourer or a funnel, transfer liquid ingredient mix into the assembled Porthole through the spout. Best if poured and sampled in 5-10 minute increments and consumed within 30 minutes of preparation.
PORTHOLE PENICILLIN by zdenek hartman
- 6-8 slices lemon
- 4 slices fresh ginger
- 1” x 4”(2.5cm x 10cm) slice of honeycomb
- 1.5 oz (43g) Lapsang Souchong tea
- 5 oz (142g) Johnnie Walker Black Label
- 5 oz (142g) Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 16 yr.
- Wash fruit. Slice lemons into rounds, slice ginger lengthwise.
- Brew tea according to packet instructions.
- Arrange fresh ingredients on one side inside the Porthole, alternating lemon and ginger slices. Set honeycomb in the open area.
- Close Porthole, tighten screw, squeeze, snug screws, and check for good seal.
- Combine Johnnie Walker, Laphroaig, and Lapsang tea.
- Fill Porthole with combined liquids.
- Infuse for a minimum of 30 minutes before sampling, consume within 4 hours (extended infusion of lemon rind will turn the infusion bitter).
DASHI by modernist cuisine
- 6.2oz (175g) Dried baby shrimp
- 4.2oz (120g) Seasoned kombu envelopes
- 0.3oz (7g) Bonito flakes
- Water to fill, room temperature
- Fill Porthole with dry ingredients.
- Close the Porthole, and check for a good seal.
- Fill Porthole with water.
- Allow dashi to infuse at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate infusion overnight before use.
Another Variation:
WILD MUSHROOM DASHI by modernist cuisine
- 0.3 oz (9g) Dried shiitake mushrooms
- 0.6 (18g) Dried morel mushrooms
- 0.3 oz (7g) Dried oyster mushrooms
- 0.6oz (17g) Dried Chinese enoki
- 0.1g (4g) Dried black fungus
- Water to fill, room temperature
- Fill Porthole with dry ingredients.
- Close the Porthole, and check for a good seal.
- Fill Porthole with water.
- Allow dashi to infuse at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate infusion overnight before use.
CHAI by the aviary
Inside the Porthole:
- 3 grapefruit slices, 1/8 inch thick, cut in half
- 1/2 lemon peel, peeled using channel knife
- 1 thyme sprig
- 3 dried apricots
- 10g (.4 oz) freeze-dried apricots
- 1/3 fresh apricot, sliced and fanned
- 3 ginger slices, 1/8 inch thick
- 8g (.3 oz) rare tea cellar bourbon chai tea
- 1.5g (.052 oz) dried hibiscus flower
- 1.2g (.042 oz) dried elderflower
- 0.2g (.007 oz) saffron threads
Cocktail to be added (makes two Portholes):
- 53g (1 3/4 fl oz) olmeca altos blanco tequila
- 18g (5/8 fl oz) elijah craig 12yr bourbon
- 53g (1 3/4 fl oz) white verjus
- 28g (1 fl oz) st. germain elderflower liqueur
- 1g (1/32 fl oz) angostura orange bitters
- 18g (5/8 fl oz) simple syrup
- 26g (7/8 fl oz) tio pepe fino
- 185g (6 1/4 fl oz) water
Assemble the Porthole, checking the seal for good contact. Using a bottle pourer or a funnel, transfer liquid ingredient mix into the assembled Porthole through the spout. Best if poured and sampled in 5-10 minute increments and consumed within 25 minutes of preparation
CRANBERRY by the aviary
Inside the Porthole:
- 10g (.4 oz) rare tea cellar cranberry autumn harvest tea
- 3g (.1 oz) freeze-dried pomegranate arils
- 2 whole star anise
- 2g (.07 oz) mace
- 2 rosemary sprigs, slightly bruised to release oil
- 1 whole lemon peel, removed with peeler, wrapped around rosemary
- 2 orange slices, 3mm (1/8 inch) thick, cut in half
- 12 fresh cranberries, with shallow slits to aid infusion
Cocktail to be added (makes two Portholes):
- 166g (5 5/8 fl oz) water
- 1g (1/32 fl oz) north shore sirene absinthe
- 1g (1/32 fl oz) angostura orange bitters
- 1g (1/32 fl oz) regan’s orange bitters
- 2g (1/16 fl oz) st. elizabeth’s allspice dram
- 62g (2 1/8 fl oz) white verjus
- 83g (2 3/4 fl oz) journeyman rum
- 35g (1 1/8 fl oz) cocchi Americano
- 14g (1/2 fl oz) st. george terroir gin
- 17g (5/8 fl oz) simple syrup
Assemble the Porthole, checking the seal for good contact. Using a bottle pourer or a funnel, transfer liquid ingredient mix into the assembled Porthole through the spout. Best if poured and sampled in 5-10 minute increments and consumed within 25 minutes of preparation.
GINGER RYE MIKADO by crucial detail
- 1 medium sized ginger root
- 1 lime
- 1 1/4 oz (35g) maple syrup
- 10 oz (285g) rye whiskey
- Wash lime and peel it with a vegetable peeler. Remove pith if necessary. Reserve peel. Juice the peeled lime. Strain the juice. Stir lime juice, maple syrup and whiskey together.
- Julienne ginger. Cut reserved lime zest into 3/16” wide strips.
- Arrange ginger and lime in the porthole into a random pattern, lightly packing the Porthole cavity.
- Close the Porthole and check for a good seal.
- Fill with Porthole with cocktail base.
- Infuse for a minimum of 30 minutes before sampling, enjoy for up to 6 hours straight up, over ice or with a dash of soda.
One comment