Popcorn Cocktails Are Having A Moment
There's no shortage of unique cocktails, ranging from drinks infused with tea to apple pie moonshine mixed with maple syrup. And if you're feeling even more adventurous, Forbes recommends trying the Hendrick's Coconut Cocktail, which features coconut water, cold brew coffee, and mole bitters. The site claims that one sip will have you "imagining yourself on a tropical beach watching the sunrise." But if you're like many of us that crave something more salty and buttery in the cooler months, a popcorn infused drink could be the perfect beverage for you.
Popcorn isn't just for watching movies anymore, there are many drinks that feature it as a garnish and flavor mixed into alcohol, per Punch. Mixologists have gotten creative using the popped kernels as an eye-catching attachment to the side of a glass and creating drinks like the Silver Screen. The whimsical cocktail features toffee popcorn-washed bourbon, cherry cola reduction, and bitters. The nostalgia-inducing beverage is available at Haswell Green's in Manhattan where beverage director Kevin Mulhern says the kernels are a huge selling point for customers.
Thankfully, even if you aren't in the New York area and still want to try this trend, we have a recipe that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
This specialty drink showcases popcorn-infused rum
The Cinema Highball Cocktail is a drink that will leave you reminiscing about your favorite trips to the movies as a kid. Created by Sam Mason and Eben Freemen at New York's Tailor, the beverage features rum that's been infused with popcorn, then fat-washed with clarified butter, and mixed with Coca-Cola. Popcorn-infused drinks have become so popular that you can probably find a version of this drink at bars throughout the U.S., or you can just simply follow our recipe to enjoy it at home or make it for your next party.
To make this delicious concoction, you'll need to first make the popcorn-infused rum by combining the kernels with the alcohol and letting it sit for one hour. Then, you'll strain your ingredients through a fine-mesh strainer, add in the clarified butter, cover it with a lid, and let it sit for a day at room temperature.
Next, you'll put that container in the freezer for roughly four hours, so the fat can solidify, and then you'll strain it one more time. This technique is called fat washing, and it's a popular way to infuse alcohol with unique flavors like bacon and even graham crackers, per Chilled Magazine. Lastly, you just have to mix your popcorn-infused rum with Coca-Cola, add some ice cubes if you're so inclined, and savor this cocktail that's probably unlike anything you've had before.