3 Ingredient Happy Hour: Cold and Hard Sparrow
Happy weekend and welcome back to Happy 3 Ingredient Hour , a weekly drinks column featuring very simple yet delicious libations. This week we are stirring up a harsh alarm in preparation for the season premiere of a very intense program: Game of Thrones .
I usually “enjoy” this show with a goblet of wine in one hand and a Jon Snow figurine in the other, but sometimes the wine just isn’t enough and I need something stronger to calm my jaded nerves.
However, themed drinks are always a bit pumping and I wanted something simple and elegant yet still relevant, so I headed to my favorite watering hole for inspiration. As I sat and stared at the bottles and talked about dragon fruit (too tropical) and fire (too dangerous), my favorite bartender (who was not at work) scrawled something on the stand and threw it at me. It had a recipe for what he called “The Tall Sparrow,” named after a particularly devout moron.
Like the Supreme Sparrow himself, the drink at first seems very simple, but you quickly realize that if not careful, it will spoil you. It also contains Benedictine , a herbal liqueur rumored to have been developed by the monks (though in reality it was not) from a recipe that only three people know at any given time. To make this somewhat sinister sipper, you will need:
- 2 ounces bourbon (I used Wild Turkey 101 because it is not a sparrow but a bird).
- 1/2 ounce Benedictine
- Nice, healthy strip of lemon zest
Pour two liquids containing ethanol into a stirring glass (or 1/2 liter) with ice and stir to cool and dilute. Strain in low sauce over a large rock and squeeze the oil from the zest into the drink. Place the zest in a glass and take a sip to calm the pre-workout tremors.