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In the Spirit: Gin in My System by Lucky Rooster’s Christine Jeanine Nielsen

January 1, 2014 by: Elsa Hahne Leave a comment

“I like the acidity of this. I always like drinks to be a little more sour than sweet. And I like three-ingredient drinks; they’re easy to make balanced. Sometimes it gets a little obnoxious when it gets over five… I want you to taste all the ingredients. And for this, I wanted it to be all local. The Oriza gin is from Thibodaux, and lemons and sweet potatoes are still in season.

Christine, Jeanine, Nielsen, Lucky Rooster, photo, Elsa Hahne

Lucky Rooster's Christine Jeanine Nielsen (Photo: Elsa Hahne)

I listen to Big Freedia every day; I walk here [to Lucky Rooster in the CBD] from Tremé, so it’s a 30-35 minute walk and I listen to either Big Freedia or Katey Red in the morning. It’s New Orleans music. I didn’t even think of dedicating my drink to another musician; I immediately wanted it to be for Big Freedia. As far as the recipe, I always wait until the last minute to do these things, and I wanted something that was local, simple and fast that you can recreate at home. I knew I wanted to use sweet potato syrup, because I had just made some and it’s so good. I usually let syrups cool down enough before I strain them so I don’t burn myself when I spill everywhere, because inevitably I do.

It was really important for me to start with classic cocktails. I realized there are categories and patterns to all these recipes, and you can substitute something for something else, following the same formula, and come up with your own drink. When I first started making classic cocktails at Tonique and tried making my own cocktails, they were all terrible. It was just because I didn’t understand the simple things; tasting what works over and over again, and then moving on to give it your own personal touch. It took me at least a year and a half to get to ‘Oh, I can do that too.’ I like that I’m able to do whatever I want.”

Gin in My System, cocktail, photo, Elsa Hahne, OffBeat Magazine, January 2014

Christine Jeanine Nielsen's Gin in My System (Photo: Elsa Hahne)

 

Gin in My System

 

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces Oriza Gin
  • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 ounce sweet potato syrup

 

Directions

  • Shake
  • Strain
  • Serve with a pecan and a twist of satsuma peel

 

Sweet Potato Syrup

 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups light brown sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 sweet potatoes sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (raw, unpeeled, washed)
  • 5 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 tablespoon whole allspice
  • 1/2 tablespoon whole cloves
  • 3 whole juniper berries
  • 1 tablespoon whole cardamom seeds

 

Directions

  • Bring syrup to a boil
  • Simmer until sweet potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes
  • Cool
  • Strain
  • Keep in a sealed glass jar or bottle in the refrigerator

 

Christine Jeanine NielsenGinIn the SpiritLucky RoosterOffBeat Eats

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