Sorel Liqueur – or my slutty fall affair
I love the fall. not only because of the crap-ton of leaves that get deposited all over my yard, but also because it is soup and fall cocktail season!
One of my faves, which I promise to devote an entire entry to, is Pimento or Allspice Dram. If you’ve never had it, it is the essence of fall in a bottle. And really, while I have acquired three different varietals, you really only need a fifth to last you for the rest of your natural life.
As I was coming home from work one day, I got a blast from my local liquor pusher that they had just gotten in a new spirit called Sorel; I stumbled in under some other pretense and snagged a bottle post haste, for the modest price point of around $25. And then I spent 15 minutes trying to leave the parking lot (curse you, 70/100 split!).
Sorel – what a terrible name for a liqueur. Sounds like a skin disease my toddler would pick up from daycare. Not only that, but there is nothing on the label to indicate what it contains. Maybe hipster douches from Brooklyn like it better that way “Yeah, if you don’t know what it is, I’m not going to tell you…” All snark aside, there is a pretty cool story behind its creation. The creator, Jackie Summers ( the guy in the middle who looks like he could kick my ass), was facing a nasty cancer scare, and decided that he wanted to engage in something that he truly wanted to do – make hooch. Kind of a classy Walter White situation there. Good news is that he is still kicking, rebuilt after Sandy, and more importantly, he has given the world some mighty-tasty sauce, Sorel.
Sorel is a hibiscus-forward liqueur that brings forward notes of cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg, all with a pinky-purpley hue. Immediately reminded me of a more gentle version of good ol’ Pimento Dram, and apparently this bevvy also shares its Caribbean roots as well. And brothers and sisters, this stuff is made for fall and probably winter. But once you grab a new bottle, the next step is to figure out what to do with it…
The first thing I found out there was “The Fall Classic” which I snagged from John Ore at “The Awl”
The Fall Classic
1 oz. Rye whiskey (I use Rittenhouse)
1 oz. Calvados (Big fan of Berneroy Fine – great price point!)
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth (Carpano Antica for me)
1 oz. Sorel Liqueur
Stir and serve on the rocks in a lowball – go ice sphere!
Next up, a little sumpin’ sumpin’ I cooked up myself. I really felt after the first cocktail that this spirit might benefit from some good cider and maple syrup – turns out I was right!
Free Fall
2 oz. Rye whiskey
1 oz. Sorel
1.5 oz. Apple cider
.5 oz Fresh lime juice
.3 oz Maple syrup
Shake with ice and serve up in a chilled cocktail glass
I plan on tinkering a lot more with this stuff as the season goes forward, I’ll be sure to update as I do…
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PWI--Parenting While Intoxicated 
Sorel is actually a word for a young male deer. Grew up in huntin’ kountry. Some women know designer labels. I know my ungulates.