Corn Is The Unexpected Ingredient Your Cocktails Need

As you head home with a bountiful haul of fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers' market, you're likely plotting a produce-laden dinner or quick over-the-sink tomato sandwich. But did you know your favorite market finds can also make for a great aperitif? The sweet, vegetal, almost milky flavor of corn is the unexpected answer to the perfect cocktail. Muddled, macerated, or made into syrup, there's a surprising variety of ways to incorporate corn into your drink of choice. So, choose your fighter and serve your new favorite concoction at your next barbecue or rooftop soirée. 

If you're at home, all it takes is an ear of corn and a few easy techniques. The most straightforward way to add corn flavor is to create a simple syrup. Bring equal parts water, sugar, and corn kernels to a boil. Let the mixture simmer and reduce until it looks syrup-like, then strain and let cool. Use your new syrup to sweeten up your favorite margarita recipe or swap it for regular simple syrup in a basil gimlet (corn and basil are famously friends).

A different avenue unique to corn is developing a corn stock for your cocktails. When you cut corn from the cob, it releases a milky substance. To create a stock, you can boil the kernels, cobs, and the milk you've scraped off together, then once again reduce, strain, and cool. Try combining this corn stock with corn simple syrup, vodka, ginger beer, and a dash each of cayenne and black pepper for a spicy, corn-forward libation.

Another option is to give your corn kernels a thorough muddle. Add herbs like cilantro or mint, plus a dash of sweetness with honey or agave, to create the base of an herbaceous margarita. Or take it a step further with the help of the grill. By charring the corn before muddling the crisped kernels with mezcal, you'll get a super smoky spirit to slowly sip. 

Leaving moonshine and corn-based whiskey aside, a different, fool-proof path on your corn cocktail journey can be found at the liquor store in Nixta Licor de Elote. The distillers at Nixta both macerate and nixtamalize cacahuazintle corn from Central Mexico to create a sweet yet savory corn liquor. Add this versatile spirit to whiskey on the rocks to up its caramel notes or try mixing in some bitters for a corn-forward old fashioned. The unique shape of the bottle alone (it looks like a de-husked cob) might be reason enough to keep it on your shelf.

No matter how you choose to use it, consider corn the perfect cocktail ingredient to incorporate when hosting your next happy hour. Just drink responsibly and don't get too shucked up.