Shots Get Sophisticated

Andrew Bohrer from Seattle has a book out called The Best Shots You've Never Tried: 100+ Intoxicating Oddities Youll Actually Want to Put Down. 

It includes many classics reconfigured into shot form, farmer's market shots, and some bizarre ones called "Shots of Last Resort" made from things like sweet & sour sauce packets and Italian salad dressing.

It got me thinking that rather than trying to do cocktail pairing dinners, someone should do a pairing meal with the drinks in shot form as palate cleansers between courses, as many people complain that cocktails contain too much alcohol to go with food. 

On FineCooking.com, I got all philosphical about it.

Shots don't need to be small drinks that we consume in large quantities, but can be small, singular bursts of flavor that we use to mark moments. These drinks can be offered as an amuse-bouche or welcome drink at a party, as palate cleansers between courses of a meal, or as parting gifts on the way out the door. It could be fun to offer culinary shots such as those in the book to pair with each course of a meal, rather than a full cocktail that contains a larger dose of alcohol than desired.

I also share a recipe for the Sorbet Shot from the book, which is made with grappa, limoncello, and rosemary. 

Get the recipe here.