A new spin on an 18th-century cocktail
This 18th-century cocktail was traditionally served as a dessert and made with cider and milk. It was reportedly a favorite of Thomas Paine, the revolutionary political philosopher and author of “Common Sense” and “Rights of Man.”
This modern spinoff uses cognac as a nod to how “Rights of Man” inspired the French Revolution.
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SYLLABUB SHAKE
INGREDIENTS
YIELD: 4 servings
- Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine – I used Pacific Rim.
- 1/2 cup of Cognac – I used Hennessey VS.
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of allspice
- 2 cups of half & half
- 1 scoop of vanilla gelato
- Rosemary or lavender sprigs
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, zest the lemon with a fine grater and squeeze the juice.
- Add the white wine, cognac, sugar, allspice, and half & half and mix.
- Pour into a glass bottle and refrigerate for later, or grab parfait or sherry glasses and the gelato.
- Add one scoop of vanilla gelato into each glass and give a generous pour of the syllabus mixture on top of the gelato. Top off with a shot of cognac and garnish with rosemary or lavender sprig—it pairs well with french fries.
TRY THIS
Looking for the original syllabub recipe?
Substitute heavy whipping cream instead of half & half and beat with a wire whisk until fluffy. Careful not to overbeat, or it will go flat. Serve in glasses or bowls chilled or at room temperature.
And because I am The Dropout, I accidentally used half & half instead of heavy cream. Believe me; I do know the difference. I have to say I was confused at first why I wasn’t achieving the desired “fluffiness,” but I was pleasantly surprised with the result. And now I also have a new creamer substitute for my coffee.
You can also substitute nutmeg for allspice. I just happened to have allspice, so I went with that.
Sophisticated cocktails. Lowbrow humor. Come join the fun. #thedropout
