A certain sassy, 'sketti-gnawing tyke has joined the cocktail list at Cochon Butcher: that's right, the Honey Boo Boo is here, and she's a right good fit for this Southern homage to the hog.
The drink itself is based on a Southern-bred and corn-based vodka, adding a moonshine vibe; the Honey Boo Boo also shares youth and simplicity (vodka, honey, basil, lemon and soda) with its namesake.
But the comparisons probably drop off there. This cocktail is more folk art than Redneck Games.
For starts, it's based on Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka, distilled in Mississippi by two former college pals with a passion for regional culture and a devotion to live music, particularly the blues (they donate $1 to musicians' causes for every Cathead 750ml bottle sold).
And unlike other flavored vodkas, their honeysuckled spirit is thoughtful, evocative and delicate.
Cochon Butcher's Laura Pfister wrote this recipe using honey as a sweetener to deepen the vodka's floral notes, while fresh basil leaves add a smart, earthy contrast.
(What? You thought this was a recipe for 'sketti sauce? Silly - just mix melted butter and ketchup.)
The cocktail's most clever stroke, though, is Laura's use of a Meyer lemon, a hybrid of lemon and orange that's softer, and less acidic and less tart, than pure lemon. Here, it gently prods the drink's honeyed sweetness.
In the Honey Boo Boo, the Meyer lemon is muddled, so there's chunky pulp in the glass, and that's where the drink and a certain country-fried celeb may be most alike.
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Cochon Butcher, 930 Tchoupitoulas, 588.7675
