CityFood Magazine - Lauren Mote's Cocoa Eggnog Flip

The New Year's Eve countdown is almost here so we are ending our Holiday Cocktail party with two cocktails suitable for "toasting" in the New Year.

First up is an interpretation of an old seasonal favourite that can either be adapted to serve a party crowd from a punch bowl, or crafted as individual drinks. Lauren Mote is known for creating her own line of distinctive bitters, homemade vermouths and uniquely flavoured syrups. Two of her ingredients, the sweet chocolate vermouth and the charred wood syrup are included in this cocktail and are unavailable commercially (sorry!). However her cocktail inspires us to be creative and surprising with our own eggnog standbys.

LAUREN MOTE'S COCOA EGGNOG FLIP

Use your favourite recipe for eggnog and make it your own with the addition of a new complimentary flavour or garnish. Lauren uses:

Ingredients:
Heavy Cream
One Egg
Bacardi 8 Year Rum
B & B
Homemade Chocolate Sweet Vermouth
Charred Wood Syrup
A dash of cinnamon

Lauren's exact Charred Wood Syrup recipe is one of her trade secrets. However, an approximate duplicate can be made at home by burning a block of untreated wood until its surface is blacked and then allowing chips or shavings of the burnt wood to steep in alcohol such as vodka until the spirits are infused with the smokey flavour and aroma of the natural charcoal. This liquor is then strained and combined with a simple sugar syrup.

Garnish:

Lauren tops the Cocoa Flip with a large spoonful of egg white meringue which has been sweetened with a little of the Charred Wood Syrup. She then lightly browns the surface with a small, hand-held blow torch to give it a toasted marshmallow effect.

Lauren Mote is an award-winning bartender and a co-owner of <a href="http://kaleandnori.com/">Kale and Nori Culinary Arts</a> in Vancouver.

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A class on how to think outside the box this New Years. "You don't need pills, you just need thrills...". Love (and Eggnog) is good for anything that ails you!