Carrot Top
Carrot Top
Category: a Nish Original · Mood: The subtle surprise
Nish's Note: I made this for the first time for brunch. I truly wanted to experiment and had a bunch of fresh carrots staring me in the face. I had maple syrup for the homemade pancakes, had amaro, and I had an idea. What came out was something I genuinely didn't expect. It was refreshing, yet rich.
The List
Fresh carrot ginger juice — 2 oz (cold-pressed if possible, or juice your own)
Bourbon - 1 oz
Amaro (Montenegro) — ½ oz
Pure maple syrup — ¼ oz
A squeeze of fresh lemon
Candied ginger or carrot ribbon — for garnish
On the Juice: A 3:1 ratio of carrot to fresh ginger works well. You want the ginger present but not punishing.
The Glass
Glass: Coupe or Nick & Nora
Method: Shaken
The Build
Combine carrot-ginger juice, bourbon, amaro, maple syrup, and lemon in a shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously. The juice will froth slightly, which is perfect.
Strain into your glass of choice. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger on the rim or a thinly ribboned carrot peel if you want to make it look like what it tastes like.
Bottle I Reach For: Amaro Montenegro. It's lighter and more floral than Averna, which lets the carrot stay in the lead. Michter’s US 1 paired beautifully with this recipe. If you want a moodier, more bitter version, Averna takes it somewhere deeper, and so does rye whiskey — almost like a spiced dessert drink.