On a recent flight, I found myself flipping through the pages of the recent Gourmet magazine, when a bourbon-based drink called Briar Patch caught my eye. I tried my best to wish myself into the photograph, but that didn't happen, so I ended up just wishing I had one instead. I thought that perhaps it was the three screaming children on the flight that made me wish that, however once I landed I still craved the chile-blackberry bourbon mixture. I haven't satiated it yet, but hope to do so soon. If you'd like to join me, check out the recipe, just read more

Briar Patch
From Gourmet Magazine September 2007

1 1/2 oz (3 tbsp) bourbon
1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) chile blackberry syrup (recipe follows)
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
About 1/4 cup chilled club soda or seltzer
mint sprig

1. Combine bourbon and chile blackberry syrup by shaking in a cocktail shaker (without ice) or whisking together in a glass measuring cup.
2. Fill an 8oz glass with ice, then pour bourbon mixture over ice.
3. Add lemon juice and top off with club soda.
4. Garnish with mint sprig.

Chile Blackberry Syrup

4 dried pasilla chiles (1 oz) wiped clean
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup blackberries (3 1/2 oz)

1. Discard stems from chiles. Break chiles (with seeds) into a medium saucepan, then boil with sugar, water, and lemon juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved and until mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Purée blackberries in a blender then force through fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, discarding seeds (do not clean blender).
3. Purée chile mixture in blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then strain through sieve into heatproof bowl, pressing on and discarding solids. Whisk chile purée into puréed berries and cool syrup to room temperature.

Syrup keeps, covered and chilled, one month.

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