FINAL_ Sweetpotato Cocktail Guide

How Sweet it is !

SWEET POTATO A MIXOLOGIST’S GUIDE TO Cocktails

Sweet Potatoes in North Carolina ................................... What’s in a Name? .......................... Varieties ................................................. How Nutritious! ............................... Selection & Handling .................. Difficulty Rating .............................. The Batata .......................................... Sweet Potato Syrup ..................... Otono ..................................................... Sweet Potato Simple Syrup .... Sweet Southern Lady ................ Sorghum Vanilla Syrup .............. Family Roots ..................................... Purple Sweet Potato Shrub..... Tater in the Rye ............................... Sweet Potato & Smoked Paprika Simple Syrup .................. Dirt Candy .......................................... Sweet Potato Simple Syrup .... Holiday Dinner with the In-Laws ........................................ Local Thai ............................................ The Fall Guy ...................................... Sweet Potato Purée .................... Vanilla Cordial Cream ................ Slingshot Flip ................................... Sweet Potato Orgeat ................. Mary’s in the Root Cellar Again ...................................... Roasted Sweet Potato Puree ... Autunno Inverno ........................... Sweet Potato Infused Whiskey .. Rye Whiskey Cranberries ........ Garnishes............................................ 10 10 13 13 14 14 17 18 21 21 22 22 25 25 26 26 28 28 29 1 1 2 2 3 3 5 5 6 6 9 9

Sweet Potatoes in North Carolina Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Columbus arrived in the New Land in 1492. By the 16th century, sweet potatoes were being cultivated in the southern states, becoming a staple on the dinner table. North Carolina has been the number one sweet potato producing state since 1971. Our farmers now grow more than 50 percent of the United States’ sweet potato crop each year. State-of-the-art storage means North Carolina sweet potatoes are available all year long and are just as fresh as the day they were harvested. Cocktail culture has followed the farm-to-table movement from the kitchen to the bar. Including fresh produce in cocktails is an ongoing initiative gaining in popularity. Modern mixology cocktails are meant to be a noteworthy event, with each creation offering a different texture, flavor and style. When you take the rules of cocktails away, what can be a seemingly forgettable ingredient can become a memorable experience. True yams are starchy edible tubers imported to the United States, often from Africa and Asia. Yams are rough and scaly with a pinkish white center. They can grow up to six feet long and weigh 100 pounds. Sweet potatoes are fleshy storage roots and not related to yams. So, why are sweet potatoes called yams? Decades ago, when orange flesh sweet potatoes were first introduced to the United States, farmers needed a way to distinguish them from the white flesh sweet potato varieties people were familiar with. They chose to use the English form of the African word “nyami” and labeled the orange flesh sweet potatoes as “yams.” Sweet potatoes are not related to potatoes. Both vegetables grow underground but potatoes are underground stems called tubers. What’s in a Name?

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Varieties There are over one thousand different varieties of sweet potatoes ranging from mild flavored, white flesh to dark red and super sweet. Farmers across North Carolina grow white, purple and orange flesh sweet

potatoes. The majority grown are Covington, an orange flesh, moist, sweet variety developed by North Carolina State University.

How Nutritious! Don’t let their sweet taste fool you! North Carolina’s state vegetable is not only versatile, it’s nutritious. A medium sweet potato has about 100 calories when baked in the skin. Rich in fiber, a nutrient that bulks up food, eating sweet potatoes will keep you full longer. With over four times the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, sweet potatoes also contain 37% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C and are a good source of manganese. They have a low glycemic index and research has shown these vegetables may play a role in stabilizing or lowering blood sugar.

Nutrition Facts 1 servings per container Serving size 1 medium, 5" long, 2" diameter (130g)

Amount Per Serving Calories

100 % Daily Value*

Total Fat 0g

0% 0%

Saturated Fat 0g

Trans Fat 0g Polyunsaturated Fat 0g Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 70mg

0% 3% 8%

Total Carbohydrate 23g

14%

Dietary Fiber 4g Total Sugars 7g

0% 4% 0% 4% 4% 0%

Includes 0g Added Sugars

Protein 2g

Vitamin D 0mcg Calcium 52mg

Iron 0.72mg

Potassium 0mg

Vitamin A Vitamin C

120%

30% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Varieties pictured left to right are Covington, Bonita, Stokes Purple and Bellevue.

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Selection & Handling When choosing sweet potatoes, select ones that are firm to the touch with no signs of decay. Avoid sweet potatoes that are discolored, shriveled or have soft or sunken areas.

Whole, raw sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry, well ventilated container. For best results, store them in a basement or root cellar away from strong heat sources. Avoid storing whole, raw sweet potatoes in the refrigerator,

otherwise they will have a hard center and unpleasant taste. They are ethylene sensitive, turning brown and developing an off-flavor if exposed to the gas. Store away from ethylene producers like apples and pears. If stored properly, whole sweet potatoes can be kept for up to two weeks. Cooked sweet potatoes should be refrigerated.

To learn more about sweet potatoes, visit the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission at ncsweetpotatoes.com.

Cocktail Difficulty Rating

Easy

Medium

Complex

Expert

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The Batata

The Batata

Ingredients 1 ½ oz Reposado Tequila 1 ½ oz Mezcal 1 ½ oz Sweet Potato Syrup (recipe below) 8 drops 18.21 Charred Lime, Jalapeño & Peppercorn Bitters Directions 1. Add ice and all ingredients to mixing tin and give a medium shake. 2. Strain over finely crushed ice in a coupe glass.

Sweet Potato Syrup

Ingredients 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup puréed roasted Covington sweet potato

1 ½ cups water 1 tsp chili flake ½ tsp cayenne pepper Directions 1. Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. 2. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 3. Turn off heat and let syrup steep for 5 minutes. 4. Double strain through coffee filters or cheesecloth to remove all pulp and fiber.

Created by

Bud Taylor, The Bistro at Topsail Surf City, North Carolina

Difficulty

5

Otono

Ingredients 1 ½ oz Pisco Peychaud bitters (rinse)

3 oz Pink Lady Shrub or pressed apple cider ½ oz Sweet Potato Simple Syrup (recipe below) Cinnamon sweet potato chip Directions 1. In a cocktail shaker add Pisco, shrub, sweet potato simple syrup and ice; shake vigorously. 2. Rinse a martini glass with bitters. 3. Strain ingredients in the cocktail shaker into the glass and garnish with a cinnamon sweet potato chip.

Sweet Potato Simple Syrup

Ingredients 2 white sweet potatoes 2 cups + 1 Tbsp sugar 1 quart water Directions

1. Roast sweet potatoes until they are deeply caramelized. 2. Chop them into cubes and dust with 1 Tbsp sugar. Sautee in a saucepan until sugar is caramelized. 3. Add water and 2 cups of sugar and bring to a boil then cut the heat. 4. Let mixture steep for an hour, stir then strain. ( Note: To create the sweet potato chip, slice paper thin pieces of a sweet potato with a vegetable peeler. Dip in the simple syrup and place on wire rack. Dust lightly with freshly grated cinnamon. Bake at 150 degrees F overnight or until crisp.)

Created by

Nicolas Daniels, Loft and Cellar Charlotte, North Carolina

Difficulty

6

Otono

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Sweet Southern Lady

Sweet Southern Lady (Served hot)

Ingredients 1 sweet potato ¼ of a lemon 5 fresh sage leaves ½ oz Sorghum Vanilla Syrup (recipe below) 1 oz rye whiskey ¾ oz brandy 1 candied sweet potato skin slice Directions

1. Juice sweet potato (with the skin on) and lemon (with rind off). Pour juice into a pot and bring to 185–190 degrees F. 2. Add sorghum vanilla syrup to pot, then remove from heat. 3. Muddle four sage leaves and place in a small strainer. Place strainer over mug and pour rye whiskey and brandy over the sage through the strainer. Repeat for the sweet potato juice. 4. Garnish with one candied sweet potato strip and one expressed sage leaf. ( Note: The candied sweet potato skin slice is a peeled skin strip, which is dipped in maple syrup and dehydrated.) Combine equal parts sorghum and hot water mixed with two sliced up vanilla beans. Let sit for 24 hours at room temperature. Sorghum Vanilla Syrup

Created by Sam Etheridge, Ambrozia Asheville, North Carolina

Difficulty

9

Family Roots

Ingredients 1 ¼ oz Sutler’s Gin

¾ oz Yellow Chartreuse ½ oz fresh lemon juice 1 oz Purple Sweet Potato Shrub (recipe below)

1 egg white Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice; shake vigorously. 2. Strain into an empty vessel and dry shake for 30 seconds. 3. Pour into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with purple sweet potato batons and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper.

Purple Sweet Potato Shrub

Ingredients 3–4 peeled and sliced purple sweet potatoes 2 sliced lemons 3 Tbsp ground black pepper 1 cup granulated sugar Directions

1. Place sweet potatoes, lemon and black pepper in a large bowl and toss gently. Cover with sugar and wrap in cellophane. Allow to rest in a cooler or refrigerator for 2–3 days. 2. After resting, strain off the liquid and mix with an equal ratio of rice wine vinegar. Pour into a container, cover, label and date. Store in a cooler or refrigerator. Shelf life is 30 days.

Created by

Mark Weddle, Traveled Farmer Greensboro, North Carolina

Difficulty

10

Family Roots

Tater in the Rye

Tater in the Rye

Ingredients 1 ½ oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey 1 oz Sweet Potato & Smoked Paprika Simple Syrup (recipe below) ½ oz lemon juice 7 drops Crude Bitters “Sycophant” Orange & Fig 1 mint leaf Directions 1. Place all ingredients in a shaker and add ice. 2. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. 3. Garnish with mint leaf. Ingredients 2 cups roasted and mashed sweet potatoes 2 cups brown sugar 1 ½ cups water 1 Tbsp smoked paprika Directions 1. Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. 2. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and let cool. 3. Keep in refrigerator for up to three weeks. Sweet Potato & Smoked Paprika Simple Syrup

Created by Christopher Tamplin, DLS Events Raleigh, North Carolina

Difficulty

13

Dirt Candy

Ingredients 2 oz barrel rested gin 1 oz Sweet Potato Simple Syrup (recipe below) 1 dash cardamom bitters 1 section of flamed orange peel Directions 1. In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, sweet potato simple syrup and cardamom bitters. Shake vigorously. 2. Serve on the rocks and garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Sweet Potato Simple Syrup

Ingredients 2 whole (small) sweet potatoes 2 ½ cups granulated sugar 2 ½ cups hot water 4 cinnamon sticks 4 cloves Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg Directions

1. Roast sweet potatoes with skin on until fork tender. 2. In a saucepan on the stove, mix together sugar and hot water until all the sugar is dissolved on medium heat. 3. After sugar dissolves, add cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg. Let simmer for 30 minutes. 4. After the sweet potatoes are finished roasting, peel off the skin and discard. 5. Add sweet potatoes to the simple syrup and allow to cool in the fridge. Keep in fridge for 24 hours. 6. Double strain the simple syrup, removing all of the solid sweet potato and spices. Created by Kati Whipple, Asbury Charlotte, North Carolina Difficulty

14

Dirt Candy

Holiday Dinner with the In-Laws

Holiday Dinner with the In-Laws

Ingredients 4 oz sweet potato juice reduction 4 oz Smirnoff Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka 2 oz Rivulet Pecan Liquor Marshmallow Fluff for rimming the glass Terra Cinnamon Sweets Sweet Potato Chips, pulverized to rim over marshmallow fluff Directions 1. Using a juicer, juice enough sweet potatoes to acquire 1 cup (8 oz) of juice. In a small saucepan, reduce sweet potato juice by half (4 oz) and let cool. 2. Pour sweet potato chips into a sturdy Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin or other heavy object, or lightly pulse in food processor. Pour chips onto small plate and set aside. 3. With a small spatula, spread a generous amount of fluff around the rims of two martini glasses. Dip the rims into the pulverized chips to coat. 4. In a cocktail shaker, combine reduced sweet potato juice, Fluffed Marshmallow Vodka and Rivulet. Shake vigorously. 5. Pour into prepared martini glasses and serve. Created by Jesse Roque, Never Blue Hendersonville, North Carolina

Difficulty

17

Local Thai

Ingredients ½ cup purple sweet potato water 1 oz Covington Sweet Potato Vodka ½ oz beet infusion ¼ cup Lenny Boy Sweet Potato Pie Kombucha Thai red curry, for rimming Outer Banks Sea Salt, for rimming Directions

1. To make sweet potato water, boil two purple sweet potatoes until they are soft. Save the water in a mason jar or tight fitting container and set aside. 2. To create the beet infusion, pour a high quality and high proof spirit (ex: TOPO Distillery’s Vodka) in a sealable container and add roughly chopped beets. Strain after two days and add water until you reach desired flavor. Mixologist suggests using ½ cup beets, ½ cup of Vodka and 1 cup of water. Set aside in a tight fitting container. 3. For the red curry salt rim, use a 1:1 ratio of Thai red curry and Outer Banks Sea Salt and place in a rimming dish or a plate. Using a tall cylindrical glass or any glass with a smooth rim, moisten the rim. Turn the glass upside down and dip it into the red curry salt. 4. In a cocktail shaker, combine sweet potato water, vodka and beet infusion. Shake vigorously. 5. Pour the kombucha on top of the cocktail in the glass for flavor and bubbles, and serve! Created by Sarah Wells, Heirloom Charlotte, North Carolina

Difficulty

18

Local Thai

The Fall Guy

The Fall Guy

Ingredients 1 ½ oz Zaya Aged Rum ½ oz Christian Brothers Brandy 1 ½ oz Sweet Potato Purée (recipe below) ½ oz fresh squeezed orange juice 2 dashes black walnut bitters 1 bar spoon Tia Maria 1 tbs Vanilla Cordial Cream (recipe on page 22) 2 dashes Angostura bitters Directions

1. Combine rum, brandy, sweet potato purée, orange juice and bitters in shaker. Shake sharply and strain into coupe glass. 2. Sink Tia Maria to the bottom of the glass, and float cream on top. 3. Add two dashes of Angostura bitters and swirl with a toothpick. Ingredients 2 sweet potatoes ¼ cup Maple syrup ⅛ cup Turbinado sugar Zest of 2 oranges 1 cup water 1 Tbsp vanilla extract Directions 1. Roast sweet potatoes and blend with maple syrup, sugar, orange zest, water and vanilla extract. 2. In a saucepan, bring ingredients to boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer eight minutes. 3. Let cool and strain through mesh strainer or chinois. Sweet Potato Purée

Created by Brian Roberts, Chef and the Farmer Kinston, North Carolina

Difficulty

21

Vanilla Cordial Cream

Ingredients 3–4 oz heavy cream 2 dried vanilla bean pods

1 oz Frangelico 1 oz amaretto Directions 1. Combine heavy cream, vanilla bean pods, Frangelico and amaretto. 2. Remove spring from Hawthorne strainer and put in shaker. 3. Dry shake ingredients with spring so it acts like a whisk. Cream will thicken and become frothy. 4. Spoon cream on top of cocktail and serve. Slingshot Flip Ingredients 1 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum

¾ oz Slingshot Coffee ¼ oz Mezcal Vago Elote 1 egg ¾ oz fresh orange juice ¾ oz Sweet Potato Orgeat (recipe on page 25) 2 dashes black walnut bitters Directions

1. Add all ingredients to your tin and dry shake to emulsify. 2. Shake with ice and double-strain into chilled coupe. 3. Garnish with orange zest. Created by Marshall Davis, Gallo Pelón Mezcaleria Raleigh, North Carolina

Difficulty

22

Slingshot Flip

Mary’s in the Root Cellar Again

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Sweet Potato Orgeat

Ingredients 3 cups near-boiling water 2 oz sweet potato chunks (roasted at 350 degrees F until caramelized) 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar 5 oz shelled pecans 1 oz Wray & Nephew Jamaican Rum Directions 1. In a blender, combine the water, sweet potato and pecans. Blend on high for two full minutes—the longer you blend, the more refined your finished syrup will be. 2. Fine-strain the nut mixture through a nut-milk bag or a fine mesh strainer lined with multiple layers of cheesecloth into a jar. 3. Add the sugar and blend again for an additional minute. 4. Add 1 oz Jamaican Rum to help preserve. 5. Pour into a glass jar, cap and keep refrigerated for up to one month. Makes ~1 quart. Mary’s in the Root Cellar Again Ingredients 1 ¼ oz Oaklee Distilling Company’s Boots Vodka 2 oz Bloody Mary mix 1 oz Roasted Sweet Potato Purée (recipe on page 26) Directions 1. In a large rocks glass, build the cocktail in the order listed. Try to layer the sweet potato purée on top if possible. 2. Garnish with celery, lemon, roasted sweet potatoes and bacon. Created by Mark Weddle, Traveled Farmer Greensboro, North Carolina

Difficulty

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Roasted Sweet Potato Purée

Ingredients 3–4 sweet potatoes

½ cup water Pinch of salt Pinch of pepper Directions

Autunno Inverno Ingredients 4 oz Sweet Potato Infused Whiskey (recipe on page 28) 1 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 3–4 dashes Fee Brothers Black Walnut Bitters Splash of cranberry juice Rye Whiskey Cranberries (recipe on page 28) Sprig of rosemary Directions 1. Fill a shaker with ice and combine all ingredients in shaker, stir with bar spoon 15–20 times. 2. Strain through a bar strainer into chilled martini glass. 3. Garnish with Rye Whiskey Cranberries and a sprig of rosemary. (Note: The Autunno Iverno may also be served on the rocks. Created by Joey Allabach, Vivace Charlotte, North Carolina 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, prick holes in 3–4 sweet potatoes and roast for one hour. Allow to cool and remove the flesh from the skin. 2. Place the flesh in a blender or food processor with salt and pepper. Slowly add water while blending until smooth. Store in an airtight container. Shelf life is 48 hours.

Difficulty

26

Autunno Inverno

Rye Whiskey Cranberries Ingredients ½ cup white sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1 vanilla bean (cut lengthwise) Juice of one lemon 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg ½ cup of water 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries 2 cups rye whiskey Directions 1. Combine all ingredients except for the cranberries and whiskey into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. 2. Once it has come to a boil add cranberries. Simmer on low heat for 5–10 minutes. Don’t overcook as the cranberries will burst. 3. Take off the heat and add whiskey. Let cool. 4. Once cool, transfer the cranberries and their liquid to a tight fitting glass jar. Store in the fridge for up to two weeks. Sweet Potato Infused Whiskey Ingredients 3–5 lbs sweet potatoes Fifth of rye whiskey Directions 1. Roast 3–5 lbs of sweet potatoes at 400 degrees F for one hour. 2. Once cool, remove the skin and add the sweet potatoes to a clean glass jar. Add 1 /5 of the whiskey into jar. Mix well and seal tightly. Let sit overnight in a cool, dark place. 3. Strain the mixture well to remove all the grit by hand or using a cheesecloth. 4. It’s important to get all of the pulp out of the liquid. Discard the pulp. Once you have strained it enough, transfer to clean glass bottles and keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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Garnishes

Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes Peel and cut sweet potatoes into ½ inch cubes, season as desired. Bake on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container. Sweet Potato Matchsticks

Peel sweet potatoes and slice across the middle into ⅛ inch thick chips using a mandoline or sharp knife. Next, cut the chips into ⅛ inch wide sticks. Keep the sticks cold and submerged in water.

Sweet Potato Chips Peel sweet potatoes and slice across the middle into ⅛ inch thick chips using a mandoline or sharp knife. Keep the chips cold and submerged in water. Sweet Potato Fins Peel sweet potatoes and slice from

top to bottom into ⅛ inch thick chips using a mandoline or sharp knife. Next, cut one long edge of the chip into a straight line. Cut a curve into the opposite long edge as to resemble a “sail” or “fin.” Keep the fins cold and submerged in water.

Sweet Potato Ice Cubes These can be made with any sweet potato variety for flavor, but purple sweet potatoes will give you the most dramatic color. Peel and slice 2–3 sweet potatoes. Add them to 32 oz of water and keep for 3–4 days in a refrigerator. Strain the sweet potatoes out and use the colored water to make ice cubes. For a deeper color, use less water. Created by Mark Weddle, Traveled Farmer Greensboro, North Carolina

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Project sponsored by the North Carolina SweetPotato Commission

Coordinated by Heather Barnes, Marketing Specialist North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services In conjunction with Tabletop Media Group Photography by Stacey Sprenz Graphic Design by Karen Baltimore, Skypeak Visions Inc

Special thanks to Kristen Baughman and Mark Weddle for their help in creation of this project.

www.ncsweetpotatoes.com