The Carver
Peanut-infused rum, reduced cola syrup, Madeira, and Eno Amaro — a tribute to George Washington Carver.
Recipe via @lois_must_die, reposted by Miles Macquarrie.
George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was born into slavery in Diamond, Missouri and became one of the most consequential agricultural scientists in American history. Working at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he developed hundreds of products derived from peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans as part of a larger effort to free Southern farmers from dependence on cotton and soil-depleting monoculture. His work on the peanut alone produced more than 300 products — peanut butter being the one that followed him into popular mythology, though his actual contributions were far more significant.
The Carver from @lois_must_die bar (reposted by Miles Macquarrie) takes Carver's most famous ingredient — the peanut — and transforms it into a cocktail that honors both the substance and the intellectual ambition. Peanut-infused rum, made via sous vide and clarified through Pectinex enzyme treatment, provides a deeply savory, roasted nut base. Mexican cola syrup (reduced by half to concentrate the caramel-vanilla-citrus complexity) adds sweetness with depth. Eno Amaro and Rainwater Madeira round out what is essentially a spirit-forward rum Manhattan for peanut lovers.
This is a drink where the technique serves the idea. The peanut fat-washing equivalent (sous vide infusion, enzyme clarification) could only work because Carver gave peanuts the place they have in American culinary culture. It's a tribute that takes its subject seriously.
Single Serve
Steps
House-Made Components
Peanut-Infused Rum
Sous vide infusion extracts peanut flavor without the cloudiness of fat-washing. The Pectinex enzyme breaks down remaining starch and pectin for a clearer, brighter result. Choose a quality aged rum — the peanut character works best with a rum that has some barrel complexity to match.
Soak peanuts in water for 1 hour. Meanwhile, chill rum in the freezer. Drain peanuts and roast at 325°F for 20 minutes until golden. Combine warm peanuts and cold rum in a vacuum bag. Sous vide at 140°F for 2 hours. Strain and weigh liquid. Add 0.25% Pectinex SP-1 by weight. Rest overnight in refrigerator. Strain again through fine-mesh. Centrifuge or filter through coffee filter for clarity.
Without sous vide: fat-wash instead. Combine roasted peanuts (blended to paste) with rum and shake vigorously. Freeze until fat solidifies, skim, strain through cheesecloth. Cloudier result but same flavor direction.
Cola Syrup
Mexican Coca-Cola (cane sugar instead of HFCS) reduced with vanilla beans until the weight is halved. The result is a concentrated caramel-vanilla-citrus syrup that brings cola flavor to a cocktail without carbonation.
Weigh cola. Calculate 5% of total weight and add that weight in vanilla beans. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until weight is reduced by half. Strain. Check brix — should reach approximately 22%. Add sugar if needed to reach 35% brix. Cool and bottle. Keeps refrigerated for 3 weeks.