Cocktailery & Tomfoolery; 508 Gin Punch & Tamarind Rum Julep

Glendon Anthony Matthew Hartley has been tending bars for nine years to pay his way through fashion school. In the last four years he's been learning about classic cocktails from Jon Arroyo, a well known mixologist.  Born in the US to Trinidadian parents and raised in a suburb just outside DC, he now owns his own beverage consulting company, Hartley Stewart.
Glendon Hartley customizes cocktail pairings and develops drink menus for various companies and restaurants including but not limited to Lost Society, Remy Martin and Atlantico Rum.
Glendon mixed a couple of cocktails for my Indian cooking classes at 918 F St. in DC. One is perfect for any menu and the other customized to my Indian menu. Picking up the notes from the spices and flavors of Indian cooking, it proved to be a sensational hit. Once in awhile I come across someone who strikes a chord with me, and Glendon is one of those people. He is my first in a series of ongoing spotlights I will do as we move forward. 

Enjoy these cocktails as the summer season kicks off and a very Happy Mother's Day weekend!
508 Gin Punch
Citrus and sweet, light bodied and floral
Great for summer!
25-30 servings

3 cups lemon juice
3 cups grapefruit juice
2 cups St Germain elderflower liqueur 
2 cups agave nectar
Oils from 4 whole lemons (optional)
30 dashes of each Angostura and Peychaud's bitters
5 cups dry gin (Bombay Saphire/Tanquera )
10 cups brut champagne
8 cups of water
Stir or whisk all ingredients in a large punch bowl and serve over crushed or cracked ice.
Tamarind Rum Julep
Aromatic spices, tangy and sweet hints of caramel

First, prepare Demerara Ginger syrup
1 cup water
1 cup Demerara sugar or Sugar in the Raw
1 cup finely chopped ginger
In a pot on medium high heat, pour 1 cup water and heat to HOT water. Add 1 cup Demerara sugar and stir. Once sugar is dissolved, add 1 cup finely chopped ginger. Cook on simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Next prepare the tamarind Water
1/2 6 oz jar (about 3 oz) tamarind concentrate*
1 1/2 cups hot water

For one cocktail
1 oz tamarind water
1 oz Demerara ginger syrup
1/2 oz lemon juice
2-3 dashes Bitter Truth's Jerry Thomas Bitters
2 oz Gosling's dark rum
Slice of lemon

Combine all ingredients in shaker and shake vigorously. Strain onto crushed ice. Add a slice of lemon to garnish. Refrigerate the extra tamarind water and ginger syrup for future cocktails.

*Tamarind concentrate can be found at Whole Foods or your nearby Indian grocer.

28 comments:

  1. Wow that citrussy gin punch has my name on it. I'm not a drinker but this sounds tangy, sweet, cool and delicious. And how fabulous he created these drinks for your cooking class!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, right?! It goes down very smoothly too! :) Thanks Jaime!

      Delete
  2. Oh goodness... you know I'm going to be all over these cocktails! Daaaaaaaamn! They look good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahahaha baby boi. Seriously so good! Thx babe!

      Delete
  3. Oh these look amazing!!! I was just craving tamarind juice, and wondering if I wanted to pay the 25 bucks for the tamarind puree from Perfect Puree...which is the only place I can find it! Must make these soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey there Nelly, TY!:) There is no reason to spend so much on tamarind puree. It's so cheap. You can always buy the block of tamarind some are with the strings and all some without but you can strain it at the end. It costs barely $2 I believe.

      Delete
  4. Looks so refreshing! And I would love one now!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Such pretty colors in these drinks:) Love the refreshing and flavorful drinks Glendon created for your dishes. Very elegant and perfect for hot summer nights.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm always up for a good cocktail, especially when it involves ginger!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Did you say tamarind julep?!?!?!?!?!? I fell out of my chair when I read that. YUM!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I feel tamarind is a very underrated ingredient. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shulie...it appears that we are neighbors! Both of these cocktails look fabulous! I've never used elderflower liqueur but have seen other cocktails that call for it. So I'm interested in trying this! Loved your story about this amazing mixologist! : )

    ReplyDelete
  10. What lovely cocktails, Shulie! And thanks for the hint about finding tamarind concentrate at Whole Foods...I hope ours carries some :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love this addition to your blog, Shulie. Glendon sounds like a a very talented mixologist. I wonder how his experience in fashion influences the way he develops new drinks. Is there a substitute for the bitters?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah, Glen said you can leave the bitters out or they are readily available Internationally. Just ask at the liquor store and they will know. Hmm I am not sure Glen is drawing from fashion industry but his creative nature helps.

      Delete
  12. Those cocktails look so good and refreshing!
    Now I wonder where's my 5 o'clock cocktail?!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh Yum! This is right up my alley Shulie! Love the colors. So refreshing and inviting. ::)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Such refreshing cocktails ! I've only had a mint julep once, and it wasn't my favorite, but this ginger version looks like its right up my alley! Hope you had a happy mother's day Shulie :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love these! I'm always looking for ways to use up all my tamarind concentrate and now I know what I'm making!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think this is the ultimate drink that can beat the summer's heat :)

    "Spice it Up"

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mixology is where I become nervous. I'm not a wiz with cocktails so I love it when someone else is and shares a fabulous thirst quencher ;D Mmm...can't wait to sip on this while I'm swinging on the porch.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love unique cocktails. These sound so refeshing. Will put them on my list to try. I hope it's not too hard to find all the ingredients.

    ReplyDelete
  19. The gin punch sound fantastic! The kind of flavors I like.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    ReplyDelete
  20. What a simply stunning cocktail! Perfect for these warm months. We are already at 95 degrees here in Austin. Thank you for sharing with me...I hope you have a beautiful day!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Looks refreshing. It will be a perfect drink for the coming hot days

    ReplyDelete
  22. Shulie, I'm going to make that gin punch next time I cook Indian. It will be most refreshing!

    ReplyDelete