Cordial Invitations

Several years into a cocktail renaissance, house-made specialty drinks and artisan liqueurs are no longer trends; these days, they are the standard.Like their culinary counterparts, “bar chefs” are striving to devise new and innovative recipes. In that vein, an owner and the head mixologist at the year-old Devin Tavern (363 Greenwich St., between Harrison and Franklin streets, 212-334-7337), Michael Waterhouse, will this week unveil his “Cordial Box of Liquid Truffles.”While most flavored alcohols are infused — for example, vanilla beans are placed in a bottle of vodka for a set period of time — Mr. Waterhouse has taken a different approach: cold fusion. Fruit-infused liqueurs and chocolates are blended together, placed in the freezer and then strained — not once, but three times over the course of several days — to perfect the flavor and texture. The alcohol keeps the mixture from freezing, and the cold prevents fermentation.Devin Tavern is now serving up six varieties of its liquid truffles. The Rum Banana, made with milk chocolate, is the softest of the bunch. In a glass, it resembles melted ice cream: smooth, viscous and opaque, with a slice of caramelized banana perched on the rim. First you taste the banana, then the chocolate, and at the end the burn of the alcohol. The sweetness is well balanced without being cloying. It’s surprising that there is so much flavor in something cold, as lower temperatures tend to dull things. Any sommelier will tell you chilling wine will mask its impurities.Three of the cordials are made with bittersweet chocolate, giving deeper flavor to the Gin Strawberry, the Rum Raspberry (topped with a swirl of raspberry cream), and the Rum Orange — the latter two taste most like eating truffles. The Gin Strawberry is a touch thinner and less fragrant, owing to the use of fresh strawberries and straight gin, rather than a fruit infusion.Bitter chocolate provides the most intensity for the Grappa Almond and the Irish Cream cordials. The Grappa Almond has slivers of toasted almond floating on top, and the sharp heat of the alcohol pushes the nut and chocolate across the tongue very quickly. For the Irish Cream, which is topped with a cloud of heavy cream, Mr. Waterhouse has followed the traditions of the drink, flavoring the Irish whiskey with Arabica beans and sweetening it with brown sugar. Both of these cordials are cool drinks with a fiery finish.The drinks are served in custom-made boxes of Mr. Waterhouse’s design. The concept is based on a classic 1920s cordial service, which was traditionally made of silver and glass for elegant entertaining. Mr. Waterhouse is an avid collector of antique bar and glassware, and thousands of pieces crowd his Brooklyn home. To create something that meshed with Devin Tavern’s elegant rusticity, the boxes are made of wood and fitted with a metal insert to hold four cordial glasses with a brass handle in the center. Each handle is topped with a unique ornament.The liquid truffles can be ordered four to a box ($20) or individually ($6). They’re designed to be after-dinner drinks, which is why they have a good strong kick like a port or brandy. Mr. Waterhouse said he wants the flavors of the alcohol to shine through, but given the luscious chocolaty taste, the cordials could be your dessert as well.

Cordial Invitations

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