In celebration of Earth Month this April and upcoming Earth Day on April 22nd, we’d like to share a fun recipe highlighting how reducing waste can taste delicious from Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge, co-founder of soon to launch drinks resource site Candra. During quarantine, many people have been perfecting their sourdough and banana bread baking skills. This is the perfect recipe to be waste conscious and give leftover bread a new delicious life. Sebastian picked an easy-drinking Scotch brand (Pure Scot) that’s not only highly mixable but also drawing attention to being more responsible with our environment.
About Sebastian Hamilton-Mudge / Candra (@candra_drinks)
With over 25 years of experience in the drinks industry working in a variety of roles from bartender to bar owner, global brand ambassador to head of brands, Seb has educated the world’s best bartenders in almost every corner of the planet. Along with a talented team of international drink experts and creators, they have built Candra.
Candra is a fun and engaging digital resource for anyone wanting to make better drinks. It filters the nonsense of complicated drink recipes and confusing terminology, providing fun and educational resources through videos, photography, writing, and illustration. A colorful guide to unlock the magic of making better drinks with or without alcohol, Candra is launching May 2021.
About Pure Scot
Pure Scot is made in the Bladnoch Distillery tucked away in the rugged Scottish Lowlands. This unique Bladnoch Single Malt is combined with Whisky from Speyside, the Highlands, and Islay to bring Pure Scot to life with a crisp, smooth, and contemporary taste. Crafted with passion and experience, Pure Scot balances provenance and progression. It makes for a unique and quality spirit. Full-bodied and mellow. Beautifully balanced with rich smokiness, ginger marmalade, sweet honeyed fruit, and a slight pepperiness. Winner of 6 gold medals at International Spirits competitions.
Environmental Philanthropy
Pure Scot is truly passionate about the preservation of the environment and wildlife. As an avid surfer and environmentalist, Pure Scot owner David Prior has pledged support to the vital work of the Greening Australia and Wildlife Warriors organizations donating 1% of annual sales, further information on their conservation efforts can be found HERE.
Waste Not, Want Scotch – A perfectly calming drink born from a tumultuous year!
Grab a lowball glass and add a dash or two of Hella Mexican Chocolate Bitters (Ango works well here too…but these spicy chocolate bitters really hit the mark if you can get hold of them!) Pour in your batched mix then add ice, preferably a large chunk.
If you don’t want to batch (although we do recommend it) pour:
- 2 oz of Banana Bread Syrup
- 2 oz of Pure Scot Signature
- 1-2 dashes of Hella Mexican Chocolate Bitters
The drink itself isn’t a banana fever dream. The flavor is actually very subtle and makes for an incredibly smooth sipping drink that both complements and brings out the flavors of the whisky, whilst adding a creamy body and delightful hint of spice.
Light Banana Bread Syrup
- 100 grams Banana skins (approximately 2 average-sized bananas)
- 20 grams Soft Brown Sugar (white sugar will do if it’s all you have)
- 50 grams Toasted (stale) bread
- 500 ml Boiling water
Step 1 – Make the Banana Oleo Saccharum – Add sugar and banana peels to a bowl and muddle together well, cover, and set aside for a few hours. Where else have you got to be anyway?
Step 2 – When the Oleo is ready, toast stale bread and add it to the bowl to make (start making) the syrup.
Step 3 – Add hot (off the boil) water to the mix and give a little stir. Cover the bowl and leave for a few minutes to allow the bread to soak into the water. Again, no rush.
Step 4 – Pour content out into a bowl through a sieve, pressing the bread firmly to extract all the liquid, but try not to break up the bread.
Step 5 – Wash the sieve, then line it with a kitchen towel or use a coffee filter and let the mixture pass into a clean bowl. This will also take a little while, so again, stay relaxed and just check back with the process every so often. If you’re making a larger batch, you may need to change the paper you’re using to filter if it gets completely coated.
Once passed, it should have a light, clear, golden color. Not too dissimilar to the look of a light whisky.
Step 6 – Batch together equal parts of this light banana bread syrup and Pure Scot Signature (1:1 ratio) . Bottle and store in the fridge. A bit of time to rest the ingredients together will only improve the recipe.
By batching up a few serves at a time, the effort you put in at the beginning pays off in the long run. You have a cocktail ready to pour from the bottle whenever the fancy takes you!