It’s a new era of Riegl Palate. After 17 years in our house, it was time to renovate and I’m happy to share that we are now cooking in our dream kitchen. Yes, that’s new granite (thanks to Kerry I, we call it ‘cookies and cream’ – it’s really ‘silver cloud’ from India) and a tile backsplash.
With this new chapter comes a new addition. I’d like to introduce you to Hedgie the Hedgehog – the official mascot of Riegl Palate and our new kitchen. Hedgie is a food and drink connoisseur who I anticipate will make appearances from time to time.
My entire family has always had a love of hedgehogs – you will see likenesses of them throughout our houses from pet toys to planters to doorstops to Christmas tree ornaments to cocktail napkins – the list goes on. This cute little guy came all the way from Singapore thanks to Sumeyye Barlak of VanilyaCeramics (via Etsy). I like to think that he made many food and drink stops as he traveled the world to come to Pennsylvania.
What better way to introduce Hedgie than with a cocktail. The weather is finally turning here in Pennsylvania and this is the ideal drink to warm you up a bit. Start with a good rye whiskey and add to it pure maple syrup and a few dashes of chocolate bitters. We used Wood’s Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup that we procured while visiting Hudson Whiskey NY in Gardiner, NY (Hudson Valley area) this summer. The distillery is on the site of the Tuthilltown Gristmill which dates back to 1788. I know bourbon isn’t rye but it seemed like a nice addition. The chocolate bitters are made in Seattle by Scrappy’s Bitters – our ‘go to’ for interesting and all natural bitters. Don’t forget to rub an orange peel around the rim of your glass so you get a hint of orange as you sip this tasty libation. This drink is not overly sweet – the maple syrup cuts the bit of the rye whiskey just the right amount.
I look forward to sharing many more Hedgie adventures plus great food and drink recipes from our new kitchen.
| Autumn Fire Cocktail | | Print |
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- ¼ ounce pure maple syrup
- 3 dashes of chocolate bitters
- Garnish: orange peel
- Combine rye whiskey, maple syrup and chocolate bitters in an Old Fashioned glass and stir.
- Add a large ice cube. Rub orange peel around the rim of the glass and add to the drink.
Source: Variation of a recipe from Imbibe
Oooh! Chocolate bitters! This sounds divine.
Spenser – Everything is better when it’s chocolate!
The granite & tile backsplash are beautiful! I noticed the granite (and Hedgie too) right away when I opened the email. Thank you for sharing your great renovation news and the awesome recipes!
Hope – Thank you! We are so thrilled with our kitchen renovation.