This drink, called Cold Night In, was created my Aussie bartender Shawn Soole which he calls the grown-up cocktail equivalent of a “toastie” (Australian for a grilled sandwich) and tomato soup.
He creates cheese washed rum by making a grilled cheese sandwich with the best ingredients, cut into slices, place in a Mason jar and cover with rum. Let this mixture sit overnight.
Strain the mixture, squeeze the rum out of the sandwich slices and freeze for a few hours to congeal any remaining fat. Strain again through a cheesecloth.
To make the drink:
Mix 4 slightly-roasted cherry tomatoes with basil and salt.
Add 2 ounces of cheese-washed rum
Add 1/2 ounce of Lillet Blanc, along with a dash of celery bitters.
Dry stir, then stir with ice.
Double strain the cocktail and garnish with basil or tomato section
Finish with a dash of Glenfiddich.
Bon Appetit!
Clive’s Classic Lounge, Chateau Victoria Hotel, 740 Burdett Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia