Uncle Val’s Peppered Recipe
Make Uncle Val’s Peppered Recipe in just 25m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Garnish & Prep
Black Pepper Syrup (makes ~6 oz)
Method
Black Pepper Syrup
- 1
Make syrup
Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar fully dissolves and mixture comes to a gentle simmer.
- 2
Add 2 tablespoons lightly crushed whole black peppercorns to the simmering syrup. Reduce heat to low and let steep for 8–10 minutes, tasting after 8 minutes to check pepper intensity.
- 3
Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes) so flavors continue to infuse.
- 4
Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean jar, pressing solids to extract flavor. Discard solids. Refrigerate. Syrup will keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.
Cocktail
- 5
- 6
Build and shake
Discard the ice water from the chilled glass. Into a cocktail shaker add 2 oz aged demerara rum, 0.5 oz dry vermouth, 0.25 oz Yellow Chartreuse, 0.5 oz black pepper syrup, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 2 dashes Angostura bitters and 1 dash orange bitters. Add a couple of large ice cubes to the shaker (about 3–4 cubes).
- 7
Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is well chilled (you want good dilution and aeration to soften the pepper's bite).
- 8
Double-strain and serve
Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupé or Nick & Nora using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch small ice shards and any pepper sediment.
- 9
Garnish
Express the oils of a fresh lime twist over the drink and rub the rim lightly with the twist, then drop it in as a garnish (or float a thin lime wheel). Finish by sprinkling a very light dusting (about 1/8–1/4 tsp) of coarsely cracked black pepper over the top to give a pepped aroma. Serve immediately.