Yesterday was a day. The kind of day that starts out gloomy and cloudy and never quite recovers. Every email is annoying, every request overly burdensome. The gym doesn’t help. Music doesn’t help. Peanut butter negligibly helps. All that’s left to do is accept it, and wallow in it, and know that the odds are that tomorrow will be better. This Hasty Devonshire might help.
This Devonshire Express cocktail.
Well, an adaptation thereof. I’ll explain.
People often ask where I get ideas for what I make, and my answer is, frankly, everywhere. I’ll jot down post-its and scribbles, on napkins and in a DRAFT in my email. I never know where inspiration will strike- a restaurant menu, a trip to the grocery store or, in this case, an in-flight magazine.
Did I ever tell you that one of my favorite things about flying is the in-flight magazine? I love it, and I usually start flipping through it before we even take off. I like the crosswords, sure, but I actually love the articles, maybe because a dream job of mine would be to be paid to write articles such as those. I get really sad when the magazine is gone, or if there hasn’t been a month change between my departure and return. The best trips are those end of the month-crossover trips. At least for in-flight magazine purposes.
My favorite in-flight magazine is in Hemispheres, found on United flights, because there’s a story run every month entitled, “Three Perfect Days [in insert exotic or not so exotic destination here].” In it, some lucky writer gets to explore a city, figuring out every noteworthy thing there is to do should a visitor find themselves in said location and give them the tips to have three perfect days: what to see, what to eat, where to stay. Like I said, dream job.
Anyway, getting back to the drink at hand, while flipping through Hemispheres last October on my way to/from D.C., I came across an article about how a bar in London is twisting up cocktails using flavors from India’s spice market to create drinks with a little sumpin’ sumpin’. London, of course. Even though I’m not big on the fancy cocktails, I found myself intrigued by this Devonshire Express, an espresso-white rum-cardamom drink, and made a mental note to try and make it at home.
Months later after examining the recipe, I made a few tweaks to make it more…me…and I think you’ll like the result.
Spiced rum.
Extra Kahlua.
A splash of cream (really, a splash. There’s no measuring. Make it the color you want).
So, not quite a Devonshire Express. Perhaps I’ll call this one A Hasty Devonshire. We’ll all have to go to London for the real thing.
Written after a day. That kind of day.
Hasty Devonshire
A delicious cocktail with layers of flavor - cardamom, rum, coffee and sugar- make this Hasty Devonshire a drink to remember.
Ingredients
- 2 cardamon pods
- 3 TB dark-spiced rum
- 1 shot espresso or double-strength brewed coffee, cooled
- 1 TB Kahlua
- 1 1/2 tsp turbinado sugar
- smash cream
- 4 large ice cubes
- orange zest, to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Crush cardamom pods and add to a shaker. Muddle rum, Kahlúa, espresso, and sugar with the back of a wooden spoon or cocktail muddler. Add a splash of cream, seal and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled glass filled with the ice cubes. Garnish with a small piece of orange zest.
OMG yes, totally dream job.
DREAM. Lucky people.