For What We Will
Inspired by the fight for labor rights that Chicago has historically been at the front of, and one that necessarily continues to this day, this cocktail is meant to be refreshing, bracing, and revitalizing after a day’s work.
1 oz beeswax-washed London Dry Gin
0.75 oz Lustau Amontillado Escuadrilla
0.5 oz Mashke Midwest Maror No. 3
0.25 oz lemon-juniper/Cel-Ray oleo saccharum (1:1 sugar:water)
15 drops Bitter Truth Celery Bitters
10 drops saline (10% w/v)
Dr. Browns Cel-Ray soda to top
Garnished with a chilled celery nest
Build in a highball glass, fill with ice, top with Cel-Ray Soda, roll, and garnish.
MOPs
Beeswaxed Washed London Dry Gin
1 bottle (750 mL) London Dry Gin
112.5 g local, food-grade beeswax
*This process is ideally done in a vacuum-sealed bag and a water bath with an immersion circulator to regulate temperature and prevent leaking.
Pour gin into a heat-proof (at least to 212°F | 100°C), air-tight container. Cut the wax into small chunks to aid in melting and add to the container before sealing. Place in 160°F | 71°C water bath for 4 hours. Remove from water bath and place in freezer until beeswax is fully solidified. Open the container and pour through a fine-mesh strainer followed by a wet, conical paper filter. Re-purpose beeswax in another project.
Oleo Saccharum
321 g cane sugar
65 g lemon zest
6.5 g juniper berries
1 can (355 mL) of Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Soda
Mix sugar, zest, and berries in a container and let sit for at least 24 hours. Add entire can of soda to the container and stir without heat until all of the sugar is dissolved. Strain to fine mesh to remove zest and juniper berries.
Saline (10 % weight/volume)
10 grams kosher salt
100 mL filtered water
Stir salt and water until fully dissolved.
Celery Nest Garnish
Peel just the skin off the outer edge of a celery stalk (in-season & local is best). Finely julienne and place strips in an ice-bath until tightly curled. Form into shape in the bath, remove and gently shake to remove excess water, rest on top of ice in cocktail.