Belle Isle Moonshine

Replace your vodka with something better.

Day 1: Lapsang Souchong Infusion

InfusionsElizabeth FuquaComment

BY AUSTIN HARTMAN

MONTANA'S TRAIL HOUSE / BUSHWICK, BROOKLYN 

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With the holiday drinking season officially in full swing, we're excited to bring you the second annual Belle Isle 12 Days of Infusions! In case you missed it last year, head over to the blog archive and check out the fabulous winter concoctions our favorite bartenders cooked up last season. 

To kick off this year's series we traveled north to hang out with Austin Hartman, partner and beverage director of Brooklyn-based Montana's Trail House. Cheers!


Lapsang Souchong Infusion

  • 1 750ml bottle Belle Isle Premium Moonshine
  • 1/2 cup of fresh Lapsang Souchong tea

​Infuse Lapsang Souchong tea for 3 hours. 

Notes from Austin: "It's pretty intense stuff and infuses fast. If you don't have that much time, increase tea size and shake the infusion frequently. I did find in earlier test batches, the tea does seem to have a plateau, so if you let it go over the 3 hours, no biggie. For maximum flavor I recommend the 1/2 cup for 3 hours."

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montanatrailhouse_belleisle
montanatrailhouse_belleisle

Cocktail: The Three Storms

Ingredients

  • 1.5oz Lapsang Souchong infused Belle Isle Moonshine
  • .75oz BroVo Amaro 14 (Guatemalan chocolate amaro) 
  • .75oz fresh lemon juice
  • .5 honey syrup
  • Egg white of one egg.

Preparation

Add all ingredients to shaker tin and dry shake from approx. 12 seconds. Add ice to shaker tin and shake again. Pour contents into a coupe glass. Garnish: shaved Chile pepper chocolate.

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austinhartman_montanastrailhouse
austinhartman_montanastrailhouse
Austin Hartman is a partner and beverage director at Montana's Trail House located in Bushwick, Brooklyn that offers seasonal dishes and cocktails that are inspired by the footpaths of eastern America. He loves comic books, dungeons & dragons and chill vibes which usually come across in the names of his drinks and their ingredients.

Photography by Sam Kelly.