Saffron Cooler

By BobD

Daniel Orr first served this drink in the '90s at La Grenouille, a fixture in Midtown Manhattan. It's an infinitely more complex and food-friendly alternative to the wine spritzer.

Ingredients

• 1 quart water
• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 3/4 cup honey
• One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 3 allspice berries
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise pods
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 1/2 lemons, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup packed mint leaves

Details

Servings 2
Cooking time 180mins
Adapted from foodandwine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, combine the water with the wine, honey, ginger, cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, star anise, lemongrass, saffron, peppercorns, fennel seeds, hot sauce and half of the lemon slices and bring to a boil. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until chilled.

In a large pitcher, lightly crush the mint with a wooden spoon. Add the chilled mixture and stir. Strain the cooler before serving. Garnish with the remaining lemon slices and serve.