Sometimes the concept of the 100-mile footprint—eating or drinking nothing produced farther away than 100 miles—has to be kicked to the curb. New Year's Eve is one of those times. But for those of us who have thoughtfully canned, put up and frozen a little something for a special occasion, that footprint can be honored, at least in part. If there were ever a special occasion, that occasion is now. Who knows what the New Year will bring? So drink up.
Of course, the morning after might present sobering ideas for New Year's resolutions. But if you're a perfect person and can't seem to come up with even one resolution, here is a recommendation: can or freeze everything you can get your hands on this summer and fall. Think how much fun New Year's will be in 2009!
Hot Blueberries: Truly Blue
This is a luxurious drink concocted by the proprietors of an establishment in Northampton known for their exacting standards and deep knowledge of all things food-related. Robert and MaryLou Heiss have been advising and carefully cultivating the tastes of Valley residents for many years. Both MaryLou and Robert have written several books; the latest is Hot Drinks: Ciders, Cofee, Tea, Hot Chocolate, Spiced Punch, Spirits. In it is "Truly Blue," a drink that calls for warm blueberries, preferably wild blueberries, preferably from Heath (the only place you can get them around here unless they're in your yard).
Bob says that if for some reason you did not have a chance to put up wild blueberries from Heath last summer when they were in season, a blueberry concentrate called Wayman's Juice can be substituted, but it really must be Wayman's. "The drink is a dark blue," says Bob. "The reason for the wild blueberries instead of regular blueberries is the color. Truly Blue is the exact color of the midnight sky on New Year's Eve."
Truly Blue
1/4 cup (2 oz.) Blue Curacao
1/4 cup creme de cassis or cassis syrup
1/4 cup Stoli Blueberi Vodka
4 lemon twists for garnish
Combine the juice, curacao, creme de cassis and vodka in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer.
Put a lemon twist in each of 4 demitasse cups and divide the warm drink evenly among the cups. Serve immediately.
Hadley Holiday: V-One Mistletoe
V-One Vodka is produced by Paul Kozub, whose grandfather was a Hadley potato farmer who kept a still out back. Young Paul was so inspired by the moonshine that he decided to do the old man one better by traveling to Poland, finding a distillery and setting up shop. He is now producing a high-end vodka that is made with wheat and distributed out of Western Mass. V-One Vodka comes in several flavors and is promoted heavily by Kozub. It can be seen in bars all over the Valley where it sits in a distinctive bottle, lit up, like the patron saint to vodka.
V-One can be infused with fennel or cucumber with excellent results because it really does have a clean taste. Just pop the cucumber or fennel frond in the bottle, freeze for a couple of months, and you have your own savory flavored vodka drink.
The V-One Mistletoe is a different animal. It calls for no less than two Godiva liqueurs (both white and dark chocolate), a vanilla liqueur and a splash of creme de menthe. A sprig of holly might be a nice Locavore substitution for the strawberry.
V-One Mistletoe
1.5 oz. V-One Vodka
.5 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
.5 oz. Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur
.5 oz. Vanilla Liqueur
Splash of creme de menthe
One strawberry (for garnish)
Locavore Bubbly: Dirty Bellini
For a little bubbly on New Year's, a beautiful, pinkish Bellini is a great choice because it calls for local (or not) peaches. The Bellini is named for a rosy color used by the 15th-century painter Giovanni Bellini to depict the toga of a saint. Reportedly the drink was invented at Harry's Bar in Venice; marinated white peaches were used and infused with a bit of berry to give the drink its pinkish hue. Today the marinated white peaches and bits of berry are substituted with peach schnapps or peach nectar. According to Kyle Shaw, a bartender at Blue Heron, the drink should always be made with Proseco, an Italian sparkling white. At the Sunderland-based Hope and Olive, the Bellini is poured in a champagne flute filled with LaMarca Proseco and peach concentrate. It's delicious and a nice way to kick off the evening.
If you're doing a cozy New Year's at home, a Locavore version of the Bellini uses the juice from canned peaches. If your peaches are like mine and they've oxidized a bit since you opened them last month for an experimental smoothie, they might have a slight brown tinge. Unlike the famous Dirty Martini with its splash of olive juice, the Dirty Bellini is named for its association with the earth—our little patch of earth, that is.
Dirty Bellini
1 champagne flute of Proseco (the good kind)
1 judicious pour of preserved peach juice, depending on strength
Mix with a spoon or rosemary branch.
