After Midnight Kiss

This festive cocktail starts with a mulled wine reduction and is garnished with datil citrus dust. Each component makes enough for a large gathering, perfect for a New Year’s party.

By / Photography By | November 19, 2024

Ingredients

For mulled wine
  • 7 star anise pods
  • 18 whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons whole coriander seed
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
  • 5 cinnamon sticks, cracked
  • 1/2 cup orange peel
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup Pedro Ximenez sherry
  • 1 cup ruby port
  • 1-1/2 cups sweet vermouth
  • 3 (750-milliliter) bottles red wine
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons citric acid powder
  • 3-3/4 cups white sugar
For datil citrus dust
  • 1 cup fresh datil peppers, halved
  • 2 oranges, sliced horizontally
  • 1 grapefruit, sliced horizontally
  • 1 lemon, sliced horizontally
  • 1 lime, sliced horizontally
  • 5 cups simple syrup
For garnish
  • 2 tablespoons orange powder
  • 1 teaspoon datil powder
  • 1 teaspoon grapefruit powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon powder
  • 1 teaspoon lime powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid
  • 1/2 teaspoon citric acid powder
For each cocktail
  • Ice
  • 1 ounce mulled wine reduction
  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce Zucca Rabarbaro amaro
  • 1 ounce Hayman's Sloe Gin
  • 2 ounces sparkling rosé wine

Instructions

To make mulled wine: Toast spices in a heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add orange peel, orange juice, sherry, ruby port, sweet vermouth and red wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add citric acid powder and sugar. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, then strain through a chinois to catch large pieces of the spices. Then strain through a wet coffee filter. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 4 weeks.

To make datil citrus dust: Pour 1 cup simple syrup into each of 5 small bowls. Add each ingredient to 1 bowl and coat thoroughly. Place contents of each bowl  into a dehydrator set at 135° for 2-3 days, until all of the moisture has been extracted. Place each dried ingredient separately in a high-powered blender or spice grinder and grind into a fine powder. Be careful when grinding the candied datils; you might want to wear a respirator and eye protection. Place each of the ground powders into separate containers.

To make datil citrus garnish: Place all ingredients in blender or spice grinder and blend until thoroughly combined. Store in an airtight container and use within 2
weeks. The mixture will last longer if you put a desiccant packet into the container.

To make each cocktail: Brush the side of a champagne flute with simple syrup and sprinkle datil citrus dust on side. Add ice and remaining ingredients except sparkling rosé wine to a cocktail shaker and shake until well combined and chilled. Add sparkling rosé wine to cocktail shaker and strain into flute garnished with datil citrus dust.

Ingredients

For mulled wine
  • 7 star anise pods
  • 18 whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons whole coriander seed
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
  • 5 cinnamon sticks, cracked
  • 1/2 cup orange peel
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup Pedro Ximenez sherry
  • 1 cup ruby port
  • 1-1/2 cups sweet vermouth
  • 3 (750-milliliter) bottles red wine
  • 2-1/2 tablespoons citric acid powder
  • 3-3/4 cups white sugar
For datil citrus dust
  • 1 cup fresh datil peppers, halved
  • 2 oranges, sliced horizontally
  • 1 grapefruit, sliced horizontally
  • 1 lemon, sliced horizontally
  • 1 lime, sliced horizontally
  • 5 cups simple syrup
For garnish
  • 2 tablespoons orange powder
  • 1 teaspoon datil powder
  • 1 teaspoon grapefruit powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon powder
  • 1 teaspoon lime powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid
  • 1/2 teaspoon citric acid powder
For each cocktail
  • Ice
  • 1 ounce mulled wine reduction
  • 3/4 ounce lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce Zucca Rabarbaro amaro
  • 1 ounce Hayman's Sloe Gin
  • 2 ounces sparkling rosé wine
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