A lazy Saturday calls for...

... a Master Cleanse. While this will not end up being a lazy Saturday (I've been working my butt off all week, and will be in the lab all day today), still, an evening cocktail provides a chance to slow down, if only for a few minutes. This cocktail comes from the newest cookbook in my collection, The Art of Living According to Joe Beef. The cocktails in this book look magnificent (three of them feature meat products), but having just visited a sugar shack, I had to make the maple syrup cocktail, the Master Cleanse. I used a dark maple syrup from Thurston & Peters, natch.

½ cup maple syrup
½ cup fresh lemon juice
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 oz bourbon
sparkling water

While Joe Beef calls for heating the maple syrup and lemon juice, I did not. I merely mixed them well until the syrup no longer made ribbons in the lemon juice. Add the cayenne and bourbon. Mix well, and pour over ice. Top with sparkling water and serve. Joe Beef calls this one cocktail. In the Dude household, this made two very generous cocktails. This is one of the best bourbon sours I have ever had, and the ½ cup of maple doesn't come across as overly strong (indeed, you only get a hint of maple). But I might dial up the bourbon a tad next time.

I expect this cocktail to become a staple in our home. Going to have to sign up for bulk purchases of maple syrup.

By Bbq Dude