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Cocktail History
The Danger Zone is a modern cocktail that was created by Alla Lapushchik at Off Track Betting in New York City, New York and was first published in the book Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH. The bartender described the recipe as a boozy cross between thick eggnog and a sweet Orange Julius drink, and it’s made by shaking a spiced rum base with both orange and lemon juice, hazelnut, egg, soda water, and aromatic bitters.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time. We used Appleton Estate Special Gold Rum because it has a delicious rum flavor with notes of vanilla and baking spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum.
Hazelnut Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with toasted hazelnuts, vanilla, baking spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Frangelico because it has a unique sweet and nutty flavor with notes of cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Hazelnut Syrup in place of the hazelnut liqueur.
Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. We used freshly squeezed orange juice.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Egg White & Yolk: This is both the clear liquid and yellow portion in an egg. We used fresh egg white and yolk because they add a rich, silky smooth texture.
Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. We used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water because it’s light, essentially flavorless, and refreshing.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Danger Zone has aromas of allspice and orange, starts with a creamsicle-like taste comprised of funky rum notes and fruit, and finishes with more of the same sweet flavors along with a complex hit of dry nuttiness.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Though we think its more fit for warm weather, we both agreed that this super tasty cocktail could fit right at home in any mood or season.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This crushable orange treat feels a bit more summery than wintry to me in hindsight, but no seasons will stop it from being delicious. Sort of a combination of a Ramos Gin Fizz and a Flip, the drink features a heavy creaminess and a light-bodied fizziness at the same time, compliments of the combination of a whole egg and fizzy soda water. Its use of orange definitely gives it an Orange Julius vibe, as was mentioned in the book, and that alone solidifies its place on a horserace track during the summer season in my mind. That said, its muted citrus flavors alongside its full-bodied texture make it right at home in wintertime as well.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“The book described this recipe as similar to the flavor of an orange creamsicle, and I could certainly taste the resemblance. This frothy rum, egg, and citrus drink is oddly sweet but in a good way. As Alex pointed out, I could see this being a hit at a poolside bar during summertime, but I suppose it works during the winter too. It could almost replace the ice cream truck delight.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.
Add rum, hazelnut liqueur, orange juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, egg yolk, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a highball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with bitters.
Ingredients
Directions
Add rum, hazelnut liqueur, orange juice, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, egg yolk, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a highball glass over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with bitters.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum, Monin Premium Hazelnut Syrup in place of the hazelnut liqueur, and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Creamy Cocktails
If you like this creamy cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Gaelic Flip: A whiskey cocktail made with sweet vermouth, simple syrup, St. Elizabeth’s allspice dram, egg white, egg yolk, and grated nutmeg
Hot Ale Flip: A beer and rum cocktail made with rich Demerara syrup, egg white, egg yolk, lemon juice, and grated nutmeg
Buttermilk Maple Gin Flip: A gin cocktail made with buttermilk, maple syrup, egg white, egg yolk, and grated nutmeg
French Toast Flip: A sherry, Scotch, and apple brandy cocktail made with maple syrup, allspice syrup, egg white and yolk, orange and fig bitters, and ground cinnamon
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