Weekly Drink Me Recipe: Hawk from a Handsaw

We here at BAS Headquarters are always thinking of new awesome things to bring to you, our dear (and depraved) readers.  So with this in mind we’ve teamed up with the fine folks over at Drink Me Magazine to bring you a new drink recipe every Thursday.  That way you can make yourself a little special sumptin-sumptin to aid you in your weekend wickedness. This week’s recipe, brought to you by the very esteemed Patrick Poelvoorde, is the Hawk from a Handsaw.  Take it away Patrick!

Hawk from a Handsaw

Hamlet once said, “I am but mad north-northwest: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.” According to what little I remember from high school literature, that means Hamlet was nuts. Like Jack Nicholson in The Shining nuts. Or Gary Busey in everyday life. Much like the aforementioned, people claimed I was crazy for wanting to take a classic cocktail such as the Manhattan and mix it with an obscure autumn ingredient like butternut squash. In an ode to Hamlet, I did it anyway, and the outcome is a fantastic marriage of gourd and glass. Just a forewarning: This cocktail will take some planning, as it requires a homemade spiced tincture and fresh-roasted squash. But trust the fact that since this drink also calls for Everclear (and it’s not jungle juice), it’ll be worth the effort. Shall we?

Hawk form a Handsaw/$3.75 per drink
750ml bottle Maker’s Mark Bourbon $22
1L bottle Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth $30
1 10oz bottle Angostura bitters $12
750ml bottle Everclear grain alcohol $8
1 butternut squash $3
1 cup sugar $1
4 cinnamon sticks $1
15 cloves $1
5 cardamom pods $1
10 whole allspice grains $1
4 whole star anise  $1
7 black peppercorn $1

Tincture Instructions:
One week prior to making this libation, prepare spice tincture by combining Everclear, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, allspice and peppercorn in a large sealable container. Store for one week in a cool, dry place. Shake once a day.

Butternut Squash Instructions:
To prepare the butternut squash, slice lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush the flesh with vegetable oil and place cut side down in a roasting pan and cook for 45 minutes at 350° or until soft. Remove roasted squash from its skin and place flesh in a handy blender and puree till smooth. After that, add 2 cups of water and strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove fiber. If the end puree still seems too thick, add water until desired consistency. Voila! Butternut squash 'œjuice.'

Simple Syrup Instructions:
A couple of weeks ago we made caramelized simple syrup, so use the same recipe to make this lava goodness. But for those of you who are new to this blog, here we go: This will require 2 pots, the first of which is used to boil 1.5 cups of water. In the second, add 1.5 cups of sugar and set to medium heat. Stir and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar starts to melt. It will get a bit chunky at first but after about 5 minutes it will liquefy and darken. At this point we must add the hot water, SLOWLY, as the sugar will start to bubble and solidify like a volcanic eruption. Be careful, this will burn you like magma. As the blistering of the sugar subsides, you will have to keep stirring as the sugar will somewhat congeal, though the caramel will dissolve in the liquid after a few minutes. Once the sugar has completely dispersed, set aside to cool to room temp.

Cocktail Instructions:
Step 1: Measure 2 oz Maker’s Mark Bourbon, 1 oz. butternut squash 'œjuice' and .25 oz Carpano Antica in pint glass.

Step 2: Add .5 oz caramelized simple syrup, 5 dashes spiced tincture and 1 dash of Angostura bitters.

Step 3: Stir like the anti-James Bond.

Step 4: Pour contents of shaker into a chilled martini glass and taste the happy.

Note: You will have a bunch of both the Carpano and the spiced tincture left over, but they are a great addition to your bar for use in other cocktails.

Cheers!