Hawt.

Before we get rolling: my deepest thanks to Ms. Kara Newman of Spice & Ice for a lovely write up following our brief interaction in regards to my looking for a proper protocol for making habañero simple syrup (results after the jump).  Her blog is chock-full of tasty recipes and tipple tips which I’m sure you’d all do well to peruse at great lengths.   …GREAT LENGTHS.

In the meantime, however: the RESULTS of perusal, followed by the brainchild of my spicy-tooth:

Habañero Simple Syrup

•  4 fresh habañero peppers

•  1 cup water

•   1 cup sugar

Much like every other simple syrup, birthing this one plays out nearly the same; bring water to boil; stir in sugar until dissolved; take off heat and immediately throw in peppers to steep while letting the solution cool, stirring occasionally.  2 very important things to mention, however …  when handling habañeros, I STRONGLY encourage you to wear some disposable polymer-based (latex…or in my case, commandeered nitrile) gloves as you need to cut the tops off of the peppers (and preferably slice them in two) in order to expose the seeds before steeping them.  The seeds and juice have the highest concentration of capsaicin which - due do it’s molecular structure - likes to stick around greasy areas such as YOUR SKIN.  So either be very careful to wash your hands with plenty of soap before touching anything else (eyes/genitals/loved ones…I have - nor want - any knowledge of how you live your personal lives) or wear yer dag gum PPE.

I am a hypochondriac.

The Serenity or “River Tam” Cocktail

(If you get it - great - if not, do not waste your time looking for the ‘Tam River’ on a map. Thanks to Gabe for suggesting the alternate naming)

•   1.5 oz rye or blanco/reposado tequila

•   Juice from 1/2 lime (about 3/4 oz)

•  1/2 oz habañero simple syrup

•  2 slices fresh ginger root

•  club soda

Pulverize 2 slices of ginger in habañero syrup, followed by adding spirit and squeezing in the lime.  Add ice and shake.  Pour into a low ball glass filled with ice (with strainer if you don’t want to chew on bits of ginger…which I tend to like) and top it off with club soda and give it a quick stir.  If you want, you can garnish with an extra wheel of lime, but - in all honesty - I only did it for show.

You’d never be able to tell from the aroma, but this beauty isn’t for the weak of heart.  It packs a punch, BUT…it is delish (I DO say so myself).  The heat from the syrup lingers and warms the gullet after the spiciness from the fresh ginger wake up the front of the palate.  Don’t be frightened, tho - all of this fire is pleasantly quenched by the lime and soda water as the rye (or tequila) lends a large hand balancing out what would otherwise be a hell of an alternative head-cold remedy.  Hmmmm, maybe THIS should have the pharmaceutical moniker.  Hot and refreshing.  You’ve been warned.