Drinks
Cuffs and Buttons
A homemade version of Southern Comfort

photo: Johnny Autry
Ingredients
-
1 750-ml bottle of higher-proof bourbon
1 inch vanilla bean, split
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
18 dried cherries
1 dried apricot, halved
1/4 orange, chunked
1/4 lemon, chunked
3/4 cup honey
1/3 cup peach brandy
Preparation
Pour bourbon into a sealable wide-mouth container, such as a quart-size mason jar. Add vanilla bean, cinnamon, cloves, cherries, apricot, orange, and lemon, and steep, covered, for 5 days to a week.
Strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, then return it to the jar and discard the fruits and spices. Warm honey in a small saucepan over low heat, adding a few tablespoons of water to help liquefy. Add the honey and peach brandy to the infused bourbon. (You can adjust the sweetness level by adding more honey or more bourbon, and the alcohol level by adding water.)
Serve neat or over ice.
Recipe from The Picayune’s Creole Cook Book
Related Stories:

Food & Drink
The Art of Paella
The Atlanta chef John Castellucci shares his recipe and tips for the traditional Spanish dish

Food & Drink
Banana Cream Pie With a Twist
Try this signature Greenville dessert for National Banana Cream Pie Day

Food & Drink
Chef David Guas’ King Cake
A classic Mardi Gras treat from the owner of Arlington, Virginia’s, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery
Trending Stories:

Food & Drink
The Mad Scientist of Pawpaws
Largely the domain of foragers, the biggest edible fruit in the South has mostly been forgotten. A quietly obsessed Quaker from West Virginia has made it his life’s mission to change that

Food & Drink
How an Award-Winning Pastry Chef Doctors Up Boxed Cornbread
Even Kelly Fields whips up a box of Jiffy every once in a while. Here’s how she makes the store-bought stuff her own

Arts & Culture
The Top-of-2021 Reading List for Southerners
G&G contributors, editors, and Southern book lovers share new releases and old favorites to read right away this year—and a couple forthcoming releases already on preorder