Eat Me
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
- Lewis Carroll
Once of the more memorable scenes from Alice in Wonderland (and there are many) is her intrepid sampling of strange food and drink, each labeled with entreaties to try them. They lead to all sorts of occurrences and you would think that Alice would learn her lesson but there she goes again.
Eat Me cocktail
Speaking of deconstructing dessert, lets take apart the Jabberwock cocktail and rebuild it in a decadent fashion for an after-dinner drink toast. Out goes the gin in the original, replaced by a sophisticated and sweet rum base. You’ll want a well-aged rum for this one. The Caperitif vermouth can stay, as it has an innate sweetness to it already and will anchor the drink as a Jabberwock variation. For the sherry, however, we will switch out the classic dry sherry for something quite a bit different. Sherry, made from the Palomino grape and fortified with grape brandy, is a versatile spirit with one of the widest possible ranges in flavor profile and character. Like Champagne, it is officially designated to a specific region - the marco de Jerez (“Sherry Triangle”) - which includes three towns in Southern Spain: Jerez de la Frontera (“Jerez”), Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa Maria.
Decadent dessert
The Eat Me cocktail features Pedro Ximenez sherry, made from the grape of the same name which produces a naturally sweet dessert wine. The grapes are either picked very ripe or more commonly allowed to dry in the sun to concentrate their flavors. The process produces intensely sweet wine that tastes of candied figs, dates, chocolate, coffee, raisins and baking spices. Aging Pedro Ximenez (also known as PX) brings out a savoriness as well without loss of the sweetness. It’s lovely to sip for dessert all on its own, and in a cocktail sets the stage for something richly complex. Add a touch of cream to this cocktail for true decadence. It’s a perfect partner for a pastry puzzle box. Cheers!
Just Desserts
Eat Me
1 oz aged rum
1 oz Caperitif
1 oz Pedro Ximenez
2 d Angostura bitters
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