Chilled Drink of the Week: Darling Cocktail

By Jon Kraus

The Flavors of Summer with Schladerer Pear Brandy.

I’ve always believed in simplicity when creating cocktails: “Less is more,” as they say. Too often I see and taste cocktails with so many ingredients in them that flavors become lost and muddied.

One of the things I learned early on in my career was that a lot of the spirits and liqueurs we love mixing with are not only perfectly delicious when consumed on their own, but are also meant to be enjoyed that way—as aperitifs, digestifs, and medicines, rooted in the cultures of the places they’re produced. Mixing is our culture, but with ingredients this good, the hard work has already been done; I simply had to layer a few things together to highlight the Williams-Birne.

Pear has an affinity for nutty flavors and is a perfect match for Palo Cortado, whose saltiness also tampers some of the natural sweetness of the pear brandy. Adding orgeat and salt further highlights the pairing, and when finished with some effervescence, becomes a light and easy summer sipper.

Darling

Darling

Photo by Jane June

Darling

By Jon Kraus

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz. Schladerer Williams-Birne Pear Brandy
  • 1 oz. Lustau Palo Cortado Sherry
  • 3/4 oz. Lemon
  • 1/2 oz. Orgeat
  • dash 5:1 Saline (or Tiny Pinch of Salt)
  • Fresh Mint (for Garnish)

Preparation: Shake briefly and strain over soda in a Collins glass. Garnish with fresh mint.

Meet Jon Kraus

CHILLED 100 Member, New York

Jon originally pursued bartending to avoid the confines of office life after graduation. His skills have come a long way since attending club bartending school. Over the last several years, he’s honed his craft at a variety of NYC establishments—from neighborhood bars and members’ clubs to Michelin-starred restaurants, outdoor bars, and cocktail bars, most recently in the Sasha Petraske family at The Raines Law Room and Dear Irving.

He’s presented at the Reykjavik Bar Summit and at the Nightclub and Bar Show in Las Vegas. In past years, he’s participated in Diageo’s World Class competition and won several others, including Cherry Heering’s Sling Award and Monkey Shoulder’s Ultimate Bartender Championship. In his spare time, he enjoys drinking tea and reading about astrophysics.

Jon Kraus - Chilled 100 Member, NY

Jon Kraus – Chilled 100 Member, NY

Photo by Ben Margetic

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