Clarified Cereal Cocktails

You can’t talk about the Cereal Milk Trend in cocktails without bringing up Clarified Cocktails. New to Clarified Cocktails? That’s okay! I’m here to explain what and WHY we clarify cocktails, how Cereal comes into play, and why Clarified cocktails need to be your list for your next party. For today’s recipe, I share a Clarified Cereal Cocktail made with Raisin at its core, as I used to love Raisin Bran and wanted to honour that in this delicious creation.

If you want to see the LIVE segment video, make sure to follow the LINK HERE to get to the main page and how to watch the segment yourself!

What and WHY do we Clarify Cocktails?

In the simplest of terms, clarifying cocktails means removing the cloudiness, and often the colour, from a cocktail using a number of techniques that typically uses dairy. It can help soften the sharpness of a mixed drink, while adding a silky, rich texture. It’s like your cocktail is going through a luxurious spa.

So my explanation also explains the WHY, but there is more. By clarifying a cocktail, you’re also increasing its shelf live, which to me makes this the perfect party hosting trick. If you want to offer sophisticated cocktails to your guests, but don’t want to be stuck behind a bar the whole time, you can prep a batch of clarified cocktails days before your event. When it comes time to serving your drinks, it’s already set and ready, all you have to do is pour it into some fancy glass with ice. Maybe throw in a special garnish that works with the cocktail, and you’re done. NO Cocktail Shaker necessary.

There’s so many positives to clarifying a cocktail, but not all cocktails can be clarified. There’s a few rules to make note of (MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY WRITE UP HERE ON ALL THE RULES), but most important is the fact that the cocktail has to have a citrus component to it, and to always pour your cocktail INTO your milk mixture. Not the other way around. As mentioned, if you want more details about clarifying cocktails, make sure to check out my write up.

Cereal in Clarified Cocktails

We now know the What and Why, but we need to ask HOW Cereal comes into play here. Well, since dairy is the key component to produce this silky, velvety creation, why not experiment with infused Dairy. That is where Cereal comes into play. The nostalgic Corn and Oat flavour can be recognized a mile away, and only adds to the layer of complexity and taste to a delicious Clarified Cocktails.

When it comes to choosing what Cereal to work with, you can choose WHATEVER YOU WANT. The key thing you want to ask yourself is, how does those flavours work with the cocktail you’re trying to build? In the case of today’s Clarified Cereal Cocktail, I really wanted to highlight my weird love for Raisin Bran and I let that guide what cocktail I built:

• Think about what Spirits would work best with the main component Raisin – Rum, Vodka, Cognac, Sake are all great examples of a starting point for working with Raisin and that flavour. Now for today’s drink, I chose Vodka, because it nods at a love I had for a Raisin-infused Vodka I loved so much, thanks to a bartender I’d known for a long time. What Vodka did I end up using? This is a favourite for me, that’s made here in Canada and that’s Laneway Vodka. They have an exceptional Vodka and Gin as part of their lineup, and it’s become one of my go-to’s for martinis. A MUST TRY.
• So I’ve got Raisin and Vodka at the base. The next thing I know I need is some citrus. Here we can play around with some much, but I decided I wanted to keep this cocktail very easy, very drinkable, something that anyone could enjoy. That’s why I brought out Pineapple, with a splash of Lime for that zest (Raisin-infused Vodka can turn quite sweet, and with Pineapple being sweet as well, it was important that Lime came into play).
• This cocktail felt too simple to just incorporate Pineapple and Lime. It needed some body. It needed some spice. That’s why I actually put a mountain of Angostura Bitters in this mix that brought this whole thing home. It’s got a spice element, Body, Sweetness, Zest and really well balanced.
• The last, and optional finish I added to this cocktail is a special Jalapeno & Salt mix. So this cocktail is giving a little bit of a Pineapple Margarita vibe, but with vodka and raisin, so let’s not call it a Margarita. I dehydrated fresh Jalapeno and after it’s completely dried and blitzed up, I put equal portion Salt and Jalapeno together. It’s insanely simple. But this insanely simple addition, takes this cocktail to a whole over experience. Again, optional. But if you love your spice, this will become your new best friend.

How to Build your Clarified Cereal Cocktail with Raisin Bran

We went through a lot of explanation, that I’m sure you’re about as thirsty as I am at this point. So let’s start mixing:

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Raisin the Heat

This Clarified Cereal Cocktail uses Raisin Bran at its core, with Raisin-infused Vodka, Pineapple, Lime and a ton of Angostura Bitters to create a velvety, smooth Summer Cocktail.

– Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings 4

Author Monica C

Ingredients

For Cocktail Base:

• 8 oz Raisin-Infused Laneway Vodka instructions below
• 4 oz Pineapple Juice
• 2 oz Lime
• 1.5 oz Simple Syrup
• 15 dashes Bitters

For Dairy Base:

• 1 cup Half & Half Cream infused with Raisin Bran Cereal

Instructions

1. Place your Raisin Bran infused cream into a sterile bowl.
2. Combine all your cocktails ingredients (except cream and rim), into a spouted container. Stir (no ice) and pour into the raisin bran cream bowl.
3. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours).
4. Line a fine mesh strainer with a coffee filter and pour the cocktail through this filter (it will take some time).
5. Can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Recipe Notes

To make the Raisin-infused Vodka:

Use a sterile jar and place 1 part sultana raisins to 2 parts vodka. Let this sit in a dark, cooler area for 48 hours before straining out the raisin. The vodka can be stored for up to a month in a cooler, dark room (avoid direct light).