San Francisco based Brucato's line of liqueurs is a long-time favorite at B&B, and their Chaparral California "Alpine herbal" expression is particularly exceptional. By incorporating uniquely Californian botanicals such as Yerba Santa and California bay leaf, alongside spearmint and cardamom, they have crafted a distinctive, West Coast interpretation of a traditional French monastic (green) herbal liqueur.
Seeking to deepen the complexity of their bright and vibrant Chaparral liqueur, Brucato Spirits recently introduced a whiskey barrel-aged expression. The aging process adds a new dimension of flavor and depth, crafting a spirit lovely for sipping on its own by rounding out the liqueur with warm notes of toasted oak, cinnamon, and anise. (For those familiar with the French monk version, think VEP bottling.)
While we were and are very excited for the distillery release, the unique opportunity came up to play with the recipe and create a unique and exclusive batch of Brucato Amaro Reserve Chaparral. The Brucato combination tasting room, bar, restaurant, and production space is located on Van Ness in the Mission, so we headed over to meet with founders Sierra and James, broke out the samples, beakers, and pipettes and got to work.
First, we chose Chaparral aged in a Rittenhouse rye barrel, selecting it for the herbal and spice notes we felt perfectly complement Chaparral's existing character. To further concentrate the flavors of the Reserve line, the full barrel Chaparral is then blended with an even older "seasoning" barrel. Notably, this barrel is a quarter the size of the traditional 53-gallon barrel, allowing the liquid greater contact with the wood. Finally, the liqueur is finished with cane sugar, which balances the flavors and adds desirable texture and viscosity. In comparison to the distillery bottling, we dialed back the ratio of the seasoning barrel significantly, allowing more of the herbal complexity and honeyed saffron character to shine, while pulling back on some of the heavier oak and anise notes. In terms of sweetness, while the original Reserve already has less sugar than the classic Chaparral bottling, we reduced it even more. Finally - as an homage to our shared San Francisco home (and since we can't help but be curious), our batch went through only a partial filtering. So it may be a little cloudy, a little foggy if you will, but there is a theory that the filtering that lends a spirit its clarity can also filter out flavor - so we decided to go with only the bare minimum.
So what better way to savor this truly unique liqueur than in an Old Fashioned, mixed with California rye whiskey? Redwood Empire is a distiller just north of San Francisco on Mare Island. They started laying down barrels 10 years ago and built the largest inventory of aging whiskey in California. They also give back to our state by restoring our forests by planting a new tree for every bottle they sell. We love their Emerald Giant Rye Whiskey for its herb and spice forward profile, making a great base for classic whiskey cocktails.
To complete the cocktail, we incorporate a subtle sweetness and delicate floral note with Honey Syrup from Yes Cocktail Company. They craft their syrup using locally-sourced California wildflower honey, which perfectly balances the bolder flavors of this signature Old Fashioned.
This exclusive, barrel-aged expression of Brucato Amaro Reserve Chaparral represents a unique collaboration, perfectly capturing the spirit of California craft. Whereas most people have been reaching for a bottle of Chaparral as a kind of "stand-in" for Green Chartreuse in cocktails like the Last Word, we love the way our special batch of Reserve is totally different from that. In this application, Green Chartreuse doesn't work at all, and takes the drink in completely the wrong direction - but with Brucato it is pure magic, proving that what they're making is so much more than just a copy of that famous monastic liqueur. Finished with locally sourced honey syrup and paired with Redwood Empire rye, this signature Foggy Chaparral Old Fashioned offers a one-of-a-kind taste experience that is both complex and deeply rooted in the West Coast's best ingredients - it tastes like home in the best way.
