Miami Beach-native Brett Ratner is best known for being an Emmy Award-winning film director and producer (Rush Hour, The Family Man, Red Dragon, and X-Men: The Last Stand, anyone?), but now, he’s ventured into spirits, too. And after adding The Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey to his portfolio, Brett brought his newest venture home with him—offering bespoke The Hilhaven Lodge Whiskey cocktails at some of the Magic City’s best restaurants, bars and lounges.
One in particular, The Hilhaven Beach House, is “A Faena Hotel Specialty” cocktail and is available exclusively at Faena Miami Beach {3201 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; 305.535.4697}. Here’s how to make it at home:
To start, make Blueberry-Lavender Gomme Syrup. To do so, heat 1/4 cup water until it is almost to a boiling point. Add 1 ounce food-grade gum arabic and allow it to stand until it is ‘dissolved.’ (It will take at least a few hours, and the gum arabic will actually soak up the water and become a sticky paste.) Separately, macerate 1 cup blueberries and a palm-sized amount of dry lavender together. Using 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water, dissolve two parts sugar into one part water at a slow boil. As it dissolves, add in the blueberry and lavender mixture and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the gum mixture. Boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Use a spoon to remove any build-up on the surface. Allow the mixture to cool and strain it through a cheesecloth or sieve. Bottle the syrup in a container with a tight seal and store in the refrigerator.
To make The Hilhaven Beach House cocktail, add a healthy scoop of crushed iced into a rocks glass to begin chilling. Then, measure out 1 1/2 ounces The Hilhaven Lodge Blended Straight American Whiskey, a 1/2 ounce Crème de Cassis (Briottete or Giffard), 3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and 3/4 ounce of the Blueberry-Lavender Gomme Syrup you just made. Put them all into a shaker and add ice. Shake and strain over the crushed ice in the rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel and put a few blueberries on top. Enjoy!
Happy dining!
By Jennifer Agress | Miami Editor