Sublime Bar Nuts + "The Last Word" Cocktail | Friday Night Bites

There is something special about enjoying a craft cocktail with sublime bar nuts.  The bar is raised even higher (no pun intended) when you are sitting at a swanky, hip bar with cool music playing and having your significant other or close friend next to you.  You could even simply be sitting at the counter in your kitchen with the lights dimmed and have a bar experience.

I dove into the challenge of creating this vibe with my favorite cocktail - "The Last Word". This complex, herbal cocktail will win any argument.  Equal parts gin, chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and fresh lime juice, make this an old-fashioned cocktail that feels awfully modern. As they say - what's old is new again. Its equally-portioned ingredients make for easy scaling: mix up a triple or quadruple batch to serve several folks at once.  The history of this cocktail has some interesting details - check it out here.

For several weeks, I have been working on perfecting a simple yet complex in flavor bar nut recipe and finally I am happy with the recipe I am sharing with all of you.  I have been trying to perfect a nut mix that I found at Whole Foods and just can't quite get the flavor profile.  I examined the ingredients and researched other recipes but nothing was quite right until now.

Several years ago, hubby and I attended the wedding extravaganza of our dear friends.  It was a 4 day event with parties each night from San Francisco to Marin.  Each one more elaborate the next. One that still sticks in our memory was at a stunning house in San Francisco that had an elevator, a spectacular view of the bay and a sunken bar.  This bar was set aside in a room that was all paneled in wood with leather swivel chairs and included a bar tender for the evening. I felt like I was at a swanky bar in New York. To this day, we always wish for a sunken bar.  One can dream - right?

SUBLIME BAR NUTS + "THE LAST WORD" COCKTAIL

SUBLIME BAR NUTS

3 Cups Assorted Nuts
4 Tablespoon Butter
3 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Lowery's Season Salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large glass bowl add the butter and melt in the microwave then add the brown sugar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly.  Immediately stir in the cayenne pepper, worcestershire, onion and garlic powder.  Cook for another 30 seconds in the microwave.  Toss in the nuts and coat really well.  Spread evenly onto a baking sheet.  Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Season with salt.  Let cool and serve.

THE LAST WORD COCKTAIL

1 oz. Gin
1 oz. Green Chartreuse
1 oz. Maraschino Liqueur
1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

Instructions:

Chill the glass.  In a martini shaker add 1/2 cup ice.  Add the above ingredients to the shaker and shake for about 10 seconds.  Pour through the strainer portion of the shaker into the chilled glass.  Add a slice of lime or lime peel for garnish.  Serve and enjoy!!  Cheers to you!