NATASHA STANTON IS THE ASSISTANT BEVERAGE MANAGER AT MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE IN NEW PALTZ, NY.
The Far & Away cocktail is a fall variation of my Yuzu Clarified Daiquiri, Spectres in the Outer Rim. I hardly wanted to let go of Spectres on Mohonk Mountain House’s fall cocktail list, so I knew I needed to transpose the ingredients to something more warm and seasonal.
I really love using the unique blend of garam masala; it gives everything I was looking for to make this drink just right. I am always against trends as much as possible, and I knew I was not settling for pumpkin or apple drinks.
If you can get something everywhere else, you usually won’t find it on my cocktail list. I tend to have a savory and spicy palate, so I just find ways to incorporate those things into my drinks as much as I can while also appealing to popular demand.
As fun and complex it is creating the cocktail, my favorite part is naming them. It’s no mystery I am a huge Star Wars fan, so there is always something for that!
1 15-oz. can Coco Lopez 1 tbsp. Garam masala spice 1 ½ cups Ten to One dark rum ¾ cup Cointreau 1 cup Fresh lemon juice ½ cup Honey syrup (equal parts honey and hot water) Spiced Maldon salt for garnish*
In a large container with an airtight lid, pour coconut cream into container and mix with 1 tablespoon of garam masala spice. In a separate container, mix all other ingredients together. Pour ingredient mixture over the coconut cream – not the other way around! Do not mix after pouring ingredients into cream, and let sit covered for 3 hours at room temperature or overnight. Pour entire mixture with cream through a mesh sieve with a coffee filter or cheesecloth: Patience is key as this takes several hours. Pour contents through the sieve one or two more times to clarify even more. Pour drink over large cube and garnish with spiced Maldon.
*For Spiced Maldon 1 cup Maldon salt Zest of one orange 1 tsp. Garam masala Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container at room temperature.