Sleepy Hollow

A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere.

— Washington Irving, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

Sleepy Hollow adapted from Diana Yen

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, the American gothic story from 1820 written by Washington Irving, tells the ill-fated tale of Ichabod Crane, resident of the ghost riddled glen of Sleepy Hollow in Tarrytown New York, who incurs the wrath of the Headless Horseman. Diana Yen, who runs a multidisciplinary creative studio focused on recipe development and food styling in New York City called “The Jewels of New York”, turned the story into a creative cocktail back in 2014. Her Halloween themed drink is a well built mezcal Old Fashioned which uses a healthy dose of Allspice dram to sweeten the drink and preps the glass with a rinse of absinthe. The drink is served with a smoky sprig of rosemary to heighten the olfactory and visual senses.

rich, warm flavors of the season

Allspice dram is a liqueur traditionally made by infusing pot-stilled Jamaican rum with pimento berries – in other words, allspice. The liqueur is essential in many tropical (tiki) cocktails, full of exotic spice and less sweet than a sugar syrup. Add some to any drink for an instant autumn or winter vibe. I’ve tinkered with Yen’s cocktail recipe slightly by substituting the allspice dram for Besamim, a lovely seasonal liqueur from an independent California craft distillery. It has a flavor profile similar to allspice but with a broader warm spice palate. I’ve also added a touch of Sfumato, a favorite smoky rich amaro, and tweaked the sweetness with a pinch of cinnamon syrup. It’s the kind of drink that will make you curl up in your own sleepy hollow on a cold autumn evening. Happy Halloween - Cheers!

a cozy pair

Sleepy Hollow, adapted from Diana Yen

2 oz mezcal

½ oz Besamim

¼ oz Sfumato

Barspoon cinnamon syrup

Absinthe rinse

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Smoked rosemary garnish, or a dormouse lemon wheel.