Fire of Olympus
- 1½ oz jalapeño infused blanco tequila
- 1/4 oz Cointreau
- 1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- 3/4 oz blackberry reduction
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
We discovered the Fire of Olympus on a field research trip at the bar of the Lokanta Restaurant, Pleasanton, California. Kathy very much enjoyed it and the barman was kind enough to outline how it is made. You'll need to make a blackberry reduction according to the recipe below. You'll also need to infuse a bottle of blanco tequila with jalapeño. (Maybe half a bottle—there's no need to waste good tequila.) To do this cut a fresh jalapeño into lengthwise strips and drop them into a bottle of blanco tequila. Leave them in the bottle to infuse for about a week. (We used Herradura Silver tequila.)
The effort is well worth it. There's an intense fruit flavor from the blackberry with a bite from the acid in the lime accompanied by a growing feeling that something is on fire.
For extra credit the Fire of Olympus can be garnished with a plume of actual fire. While a plume of fire is merely for show, substituting serrano-infused tequila for the jalapeño will really drop some fire in the hole. We steeped one quarter of a serrano chili sliced lengthwise in 3 oz of blanco tequila overnight. Not so much an aftertaste—more of a kick in the teeth.
Blackberry Reduction
- 1 lb fresh blackberries
- 1/4 cup + 2 T sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- Juice from 1 lemon
This will make 1/2 cup of syrup, enough for four drinks.
In a medium saucepan, bring blackberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice to a boil. Reduce and simmer until blackberries fall apart and mixture thickens—about 20 to 25 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve pushing to extract all the juice. Transfer to the refrigerator. The sauce will thicken as it chills.
Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one month.