Here’s another recipe from Cocktail Camp PDX, this one from Ezra Johnson-Greenough who participated in our discussion of Beer Cocktails.

The Hot Scotchy is a bit more labor intensive than most of our recipes but might be worth it if you’re a fan of both beer and Scotch. Malted barley can be purchased from online or from your local homebrew shop. Use a peaty Islay Scotch for best results (we served it with Ardbeg).

Hot Scotchy

• Malted barley
• 2 ounces peaty Scotch whisky
• Heavy cream

First crack the barley by using a rolling pin over a bag of the grain. Do this just long enough to crack the hull — you do not want to grind it up. Fill a coffee press about 1/3 full of the cracked grain and fill with 160°F water and let steep for at least 15 minutes or until the water drops below 144°F. Add 2 ounces of Scotch to an Irish Coffee mug. Once the barley is ready, press and strain into the mug. Top with about one inch of lightly whipped, unsweetened cream.

This drink got some very strong reactions from the Cocktail Camp audience, on both sides of the spectrum. As for myself, I enjoy peaty Scotch but am not particularly fond of beer, so my feelings were mixed. Regardless, this is definitely an interesting cocktail and probably worth the effort if it sounds like something you’d like.

Photo by Ritch Marvin.