Alcademics

In my latest post for FineCooking.com I talk a little bit about orgeat as a segue into posting the recipe for Dominic Venegas' Mi Ruca cocktail that helped him win the SF regional 42Below vodka cocktail world cup.

(Photos courtesy of 42Below Vodka.)

Most of what I know about orgeat comes from the research for a huge Mai Tai story I wrote for Mixology Magazine in Germany. And much of that information comes from Jennifer Colliau of Small Hand Foods, whose orgeat is so labor-intensive she only sells it to select clients, and Blair Reynolds, whose Trader Tiki orgeat now comes in regular almond and hazelnut versions.

Venegas' Mi Ruca cocktail is simple to make at home as long as you have the delicious 42Below Manuka Honey vodka; and you can use commercial orgeat and skip the bee pollen if you don't have any around.

The recipe for the Mi Ruca is on Fine Cooking here.

(Photos courtesy of 42Below Vodka.)

I am out of Manuka Honey so I made a rum version of this drink- dark rum, pineapple, lemon, and orgeat. It tasted like a simple rum punch and was good on its own though crying for some champagne to give it fizz.

So shopping list: champagne, manuka honey vodka, bee pollen. At least I've got orgeat in the house.