A playful riff on the Hukilau cocktail.

For the vinegar i used blis IX; a nine year bourbon-maple barrel aged sherry vinegar. The tart vs quenching question should be asked before deploying such a cocktail. What sort of drinkers have you and what do thy like.... If a very tart shrub would get sent back by even one guest... Serve it o'er crushed and save the ace in the hole(o'er rocks) for someone who really wants to pucker.... That'll save you from pouring more vinegar... Stuff aint cheap!
for the vinegar i took a wide mouthed 500ml bottle and filled it to the top with the freshest and sweetest blackberries i could find. than fill said bottle thusly with as much sherry vinegar as i could fit. let sit for at least 11 days and indefinately. dont use it till the fruit takes the sharpness of of the vinegar. itll still be tart, but just less sharp. my bottle has been sittin on the fruit since late november. ill try to put it in the background when i upload a pic.

Limit 2 per customer, please!

This is an insanely bright and gently balanced beverage. If you are trying to recreate using a different vinegar with higher acidity be sure to adjust the sugar and alcohol accordingly.

To make the oleo-saccharum: in tupperware or a zip-top bag combine 1.25 cups sugar and the peel (no white pith) of 2 oranges. Muddle the zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist, and remove the zest.

The final beverage should look like it goes from black as the abyss on bottom and billowy white clouds atop with luscious brownish bubbly layers in between.Very rich and light, dessert like and somewhat sweet.

To make the honey-ginger Rye, take 10 oz by weight of honey with 50-65 grams thin sliced ginger and infuse with 16 oz rye for at least 4 hours, but up to 24.

Combine 8 oz Hendrick's gin, 1/3 lb cherry tomatoes (halved), 2 wide strips lemon zest, and 4-6 peppercorns (cracked) to an airtight container and store in a cool, dark location for 5-7 days, shaking once daily. Strain thru fine sieve or cheesecloth and store in a fresh bottle.