Over medium heat, heat maple syrup with butter until the butter melts and the mixture bubbles.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  About 30 minutes before your turkey is done brush over the maple syrup glaze.

For the gravy:

In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp room temperature butter with 1 1/2 Tbsp flour and mix together until a smooth paste forms.  Set aside.  Use the defatted drippings and place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium-high heat.  Pour in 1 cup of The Doctor’s Riesling into the pan and cook, until reduced by half, about 6 minutes.  Add 2 cups of Rich Turkey Stock and cook until reduced again by half, about 7 minutes.  Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and pour into a small saucepan.   Whisk in the reserved butter-flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the butter has melted.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and let gravy simmer until slightly thickened, 8 minutes.  Serve the gravy on the side with the carved turkey.

This recipe is brought to you by:  The Doctor’s Riesling  (01) New Zealand

CARAMEL APPLE

1/2 oz Sour Puss apple
1/2 oz Butter Ripple schnapps

Shake over ice and serve as a shot.

-bar and beverage magazine spring/summer 2013

REVY RIPPLE

1/2 oz Phillips Butter Ripple schnapps
1/2 oz Revel Stoke Spiced Whisky

-bar and beverage magazine spring/summer 2013

Jagermeister & Root Beer shaken on ice, poured into a shot glass.

-bar and beverage magazine spring/summer 2013

THE CRYSTAL COOLER

2 oz Crystal Head vodka
1 oz orange juice
1 oz passion fruit juice
o.5 oz fresh lemon juice
soda water

Add Crystal Head Vodka, orange juice, passion fruit juice and fresh lemon juice into a shaker with ice.  Shake well.  Strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice.  Top with soda water.  Garnish w/ an orange slice.

-bar and beverage magazine spring/summer 2013

With the weather getting colder I thought a hot drink recipe might be in order.  This is from the Wine Access Magazine (Dec11/Jan12).  The recipe is courtesy of Brad Hendrickson, chef-de-cuisine at ensemble restaurant in Vancouver.

BRAD’S IRISH FOG

3 cups boiling water
3 Earl Grey tea bags
6 oz Bailey’s
2 oz Irish whisky (such as Jameson)
4 tsp honey (to taste)

Add tea bags to boiling water in a heatproof pitcher or teapot and let steep 2 to 4 minutes.  Add Bailey’s and Irish whisky to tea; add honey, if desired.  Serves 4.