Home Fires

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Cocktail History

The Home Fires is an autumn cocktail that was created by author Jassy Davis and was first published in her book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter. It’s a unique variation of the classic Whiskey Sour that is made with whiskey, almond, citrus, and sherry, the combination of which was inspired by the author’s sister’s favorite spirits and the warmth of a fire in the wintertime.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Bourbon: This is a type of whiskey made in the United States with at least 51% corn, with other grains, water, and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in new charred oak barrels to develop a rich, caramelized flavor.

Amaretto Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with almonds or apricot kernels, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, nutty flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Pedro Ximénez Sherry: This is a type of sherry made with sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes, water, and yeast, which are fermented, fortified with brandy, and then aged to develop a rich, syrupy flavor.

Islay Scotch: This is a type of whisky made on the island of Islay in Scotland with malted barley or grains and yeast, which are distilled and then dried with peat fires and aged in oak barrels to develop a smoky, peaty flavor.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Brandied Cherry: This is a type of stone fruit made by soaking maraschino cherries in brandy, water, and spices to make a rich, fruity syrup.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the KingSeal Bamboo Knot Cocktail Pick Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Brown-ish orange color

• Aroma: Peat and allspice

• Taste: Fairly dry flavor with bourbon’s backbone, earthy Scotch and sherry, a hint of nuttiness, and citrus

• Finish: Lingering lemon and savory sherry

Kendall’s Take: “Of the whiskies, bourbon is my favorite, so I assumed I would like this drink quite a bit when I saw it in the book. The only ingredient that had me raising an eyebrow was the Islay Scotch. Not much of the stuff is used, but even so, I usually find its peaty taste too distracting in cocktails. I was wrong in this case! I would say sipping on the Home Fires is an excellent way of dipping your toe into the smoky spirit. You get a hint of the Scotch’s taste, but it lets the rest of the ingredients shine too. This gets a ‘Yes, I would make it again’ from me.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.