Had a recent “disaster.” My little kumquat tree was loaded with kumquats, and I had a fancy for some kumquat marmalade, so the fruit was picked, seeds removed, and cooked with sugar. We ended up with a dozen jars of various sizes. There was one problem, however. The recipe we pulled off the net was not good, and the kumquat marmalade ended up more like kumquat syrup. It did taste good but would work better over pancakes than spread on toast. So, now I am stuck with all this kumquat syrup or throw it out.
When life hands you lemons make lemonade … or a cocktail.
I chose the latter and set about to develop some use for all this kumquat syrup. Since it resembled simple syrup, I figured some variation of an Old Fashioned would work and started testing recipes. I hit a winner on the first try! Janis and I tasted it and declared it good but a bit overly sweet. So, we added a little lemon juice and it went from “good” to “fantastic!” It resembles an Old Fashioned cocktail with a kumquat-ish flavor.
The recipe is as follows:
In an Old Fashioned tumbler filled with quality ice add …
2 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
2 tsp kumquat syrup (include a few pieces of kumquat from the “marmalade” syrup)
2 dashes orange bitters
about 1/2 a tsp of lemon juice (to taste)
stir well and wipe the rim of the tumbler with lemon peel and twist it over the cocktail. Then sit back and enjoy kumquat heaven.
You have one problem, however. That is no one sells kumquat syrup. You are going to have to make your own, but that’s another post.
(The little caterpillar-looking thing in the bottom of the drink is a sliver of kumquat peel.)
Catahoula Chronicles 
Dang! Sounds good – but first y’ gotta start selling the kumquat syrup to jump-start the market. Good thing you put a ‘splain in about what that thing is in the glass, too – but it makes a neat effect in the shot.
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