Winter brings mandarin madness.
Tart, juicy, and oh so cute: No, I am not talking about myself. I am talking about one of my favorite winter treats, the mandarin. This perfect little citrus grows like crazy in Northern California, where I was raised, and some of my fondest fruit memories include eating a whole bag of mandarins with my grandma. While most of us know that mandarins are perfect on salads or as dessert, my favorite use is in drinks, where they add a touch of tartness to winter cocktails. Here are some of my current favorites:
Hot Cutie
Everyone loves a hot toddy — the warm, bold flavors on a chilly winter day can make any cold heart melt. Mandarin juice is a perfect way to add a tart balance to your favorite toddy recipe. I recommend finding a nice below-100-proof bourbon, a collection of spices such as clove and cinnamon, local honey, and an ounce or two of mandarin juice to brighten life during the winter blues.
1½ ounces bourbon
½ ounce honey
4 whole cloves
1 ounce mandarin juice
Combine all ingredients in a heatproof mug, top with boiling water, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
Drink Your Veggies
With winter comes cold and flu season, and now more than ever we need vitamins to fortify our immune systems. This cocktail is a fun way to drink your veggies while adding a bit of vodka to keep it fun. Don’t want to drink this week? No problem. Just hold the vodka and add a pinch of pepper. Pro tip: This cocktail is a world-class hangover cure.
1½ ounces vodka
2 ounces mandarin juice
4 ounces carrot juice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
Combine all ingredients in pint glass, top with ice, and garnish with a celery stick. For a cool treat, drop that pint glass of ingredients and ice into your blender and pulse for 30 seconds.
Garnish for Greatness
The Spanish make a gin and tonic much better than the rest of the world; it’s basically a cocktail salad. Served in a large wine glass, this drink is sure to surprise with its hints of winter citrus and the bold pepper from the arugula.
2 ounces gin
3 ounces tonic
1 slice blood orange
2 mandarin carpels, or sections
1 arugula leaf
Combine all ingredients in a wine glass and top with ice.
Photo by Candice Vivien
Michael C. Moberly is the national brand ambassador and distillery general manager for Ferino Distillery in Reno and a local spirits educator. His 13 years in the industry have been spent learning, loving, and imbibing with some of its best minds, both locally and nationally. He also is good at wearing hats.
