Local liqueurs make for 60 days of sweet summertime sips

SEATTLE, WA – broVo has teamed up with dozens of restaurants around the Puget Sound and is creating a recipe book brochure (to be passed out at the restaurants free to the public) featuring 60 cocktails perfectly suited for summertime. The ideal summer sips, created by bartenders at the various area establishments, will feature one of the 5 broVo liqueurs.

broVo founders, Mhairi Voelsgen and Erin Brophy are dynamos on a mission. The two former colleagues and now business partners attended distillery school in 2010, then made their first cherry brandy on a still named Shania. They worked for months to perfect the recipes, then committed to using small farms across the state to grow and harvest the product, small craft distilleries to make it, and now are working with small businesses to support it. This past fall, broVo released 4 liqueurs, all made with botanical ingredients grown in Washington State.

The liqueurs are designed to be ‘more nose than palate’ – they smell amazing, but the taste is not overwhelming. Designed to have a light and luscious mouth feel, they are delicious in cocktails or straight up on ice as a sipping liquor. They are made from ingredients harvested at the peak of their season, shipped overnight on ice from across the state to be slow distilled in small batches to maximize the flavor profile. In December they released their fifth liqueur- lavender.

Here are two featured Summer Cocktails at Elliott’s Oyster House. These concoctions were created for 60 Days of Summer Tourism Activity by Scott Diaz, Beverage Manager, at Elliott’s Oyster House and will be available starting in June 2012.

Tongue Thai’d $8

1 1/4 oz Rum

3/4 oz broVo Ginger

3/4 oz Guava Nectar

3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice

1/2 oz Simple Syrup

1/4 oz Orgeat Syrup

2 Thai Basil Leaves

Shake 1 basil leaf and remaining ingredients with ice. Strain into and ice filled double rocks glass. Garnish with remaining basil leaf. Enjoy.

Elysium $9

1 1/4 oz Finlandia Grapefruit Vodka

3/4 oz Aperol

1/2 oz broVo Rose Geranium

3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice

Orange-Ginger Foam for Garnish

Combine with ice, shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the foam and enjoy.

Orange-Ginger Foam

3/4 cup Fresh Orange Juice

1/4 cup Skim Milk

2 oz Simple Syrup

1 oz broVo Ginger

2 Egg Whites

Take a closer look at the ingredients:

Lemon Balm: It’s light, bright and refreshing! The lemon balm is grown in Northport, Washington , harvested after flowering and overnighted on ice to maximize the flavor. This flavor is a natural addition to most cocktails that use a lemon or citrus flavor. Lemon balm is effective in all types of liquor and pairs well with other broVo flavors.

Rose Geranium: Move over elderflower, this softer, more gentle show stopper is stepping on in. It is a delicate, difficult plant to grow effectively and is impacted greatly by weather. We have grown it under hoops this year because of weather. Rose geranium is a very limited flavor. Rose geranium works with everything from vodka and gin to tequila, bourbon and rum.

Ginger: The all-purpose spice ingredient in cocktails. It is able to lend a brief spice profile to a cocktail. More sophisticated than other ginger liqueurs, it is less sweet with a floral afternote to the profile. Ginger works well with both brown and white spirits, but is especially effective with brown liquors like whiskies and aged tequilas.

Lavender: Lavender is a delicate floral note liqueur that smells like heaven but does not smell like your grandmother’s underwear drawer. Lavender can sometimes be an overwhelming flavor to taste; this liqueur provides all of the relaxation of a scented candle with the addition of a lovely taste.

Douglas Fir: It is a true locavore liqueur. Douglas Fir is foraged from the coast as soon as new growth appears. It is crisp, clear and earthy yet with a soft, citrus note. Douglas Fir makes a great substitute for gin, but mixes well with most liquors. It is a more masculine flavor profile than the other liqueurs.

Combine ingredients in a blender and pulse for 5 seconds. Pour into a whipping canister and use according to manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate till use, shaking well before using.

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