It never hurts to think ahead. Warmer months are just around the corner. If you’re anything like me you’ve probably had your fair share of bourbon. Not that bourbon will ever be replaced, but it’s about time to start thinking rum drinks. This red bell pepper infused rum is quite possibly the easiest and one of the most rewarding infusions you can make. It’ll only take 24 hours to infuse and the result is a culinary epiphany that’ll have your guests pleasantly surprised.
Photo by Kitchen Konfidence
Recipe
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 liter golden rum (I use Flor de Cana)
- Remove the stems, seeds and ribs from the pepper.
- Slice the pepper into long, thin slices.
- Place the pepper slices into a large, air tight container and pour in the rum.
- Seal and store in a cool, dark spot for 24 hours.
- Strain the infused rum into a sterilized bottle.
I use this rum in a cocktail I created for the Nicaraguan restaurant La Finca y El Mar called El Comediante. But feel free to get creative and experiment. That’s half the fun.
Can’t wait to try this. I had a week-long phase a few years ago where I was trying to figure out how to get raw onion flavor into a cocktail without wrecking everything. I wanted that soupçon of savory that makes people ask what it is because it can’t be identified. Never got there, but I had the most success with thinly sliced raw red onion soaked in ice water for at least half an hour. One small piece, tossed in the shaker with the ice cubes in order to bruise out the flavor, was plenty. Some promising experiments with calvados, Belle de Brillet, and whiskeys with pear or apple in the nose. I didn’t think of rum, but red-pepper rum, now that’s another animal. How ridiculous awesome would a (successful) _pizza_ cocktail be? Or something with Cynar–“Antipasto” cocktail, anyone?