♪♪
Narrator: CINNAMON CORDIAL
MARRIES THE PUNGENT FLAVOR
OF ONE OF OUR FAVORITE
SPICES WITH ALCOHOL.
THINK OF IT AS THE LIQUEUR
EQUIVALENT OF A CINNAMON BUN.
ON ITS OWN OR AS IN INGREDIENT
IN A SPECIALTY DRINK,
CINNAMON CORDIAL CAN ADD SOME
SERIOUS SPICE TO COCKTAIL HOUR.
CINNAMON CORDIAL IS
THE DISTILLED SPIRIT
THAT IS BOTH SWEET AND SPICY.
IT'S THIS COMPLEXITY OF FLAVOR
THAT IS AT THAT HEART
OF ITS APPEAL.
THIS PARTICULAR CINNAMON CORDIAL
STARTS WITH A BLEND
OF CALIFORNIA
GRAPE BRANDY THAT'S BEEN
AGED FOR 2 YEARS.
THE DISTILLER MEASURES
THE AMOUNT THE RECIPE CALLS FOR
AND POURS THE BRANDY INTO
THE MAIN PRODUCTION VESSEL.
HE THEN PUMPS NEUTRAL
GRAIN SPIRITS
OUT OF A BIG HOLDING TANK
AND INTO THE MEASURING BUCKET.
THIS SPIRIT IS 190 PROOF,
WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS
95 PERCENT ALCOHOL.
HE ADDS IT TO THE GRAPE BRANDY.
TOGETHER, THE BRANDY
AND THE NEUTRAL SPIRITS
WILL SERVE AS THE ALCOHOL BASE
FOR THE CINNAMON CORDIAL.
THE BRANDY CONTRIBUTES COLOR
AND A LITTLE FLAVOR
WHILE THE CLEAR SPIRITS
ADD POTENCY.
NEXT UP ARE THE SPICES THAT
PROVIDE A FIRST LAYER OF FLAVOR.
USING A SCALE,
THE DISTILLER MEASURES
THE AMOUNTS FOR THE RECIPE,
BEGINNING WITH WHOLE CORIANDER,
A SPICE THAT WILL IMPART
A CITRUSY
ZEST TO THE CINNAMON CORDIAL.
THE NEXT INGREDIENT IS CLOVES.
THIS SPICE HAS A SWEET
AND PEPPERY ESSENCE.
FINALLY, HE ADDS DRY BAY LEAVES.
HE CRUMBLES THEM TO RELEASE
THEIR HERBAL FRAGRANCE.
THESE THREE SPICES
WILL ULTIMATELY PROVIDE
BACKGROUND FLAVOR,
WHILE THE CINNAMON
THAT'S TO BE ADDED LATER
WILL BE THE MAIN EVENT.
THE DISTILLER REOPENS
THE PRODUCTION TANK AND DRAPES
A MESH NYLON SACHET
OVER THE OPENING.
HE POURS THE CAREFULLY
MEASURED SPICES INTO THE BAG,
AND THEY BECOME IMMERSED
IN THE ALCOHOL.
HE DRAWS THE BAG OF SPICES SHUT
AND LEAVES IT IN
THE ALCOHOL FOR 2 WEEKS.
DURING THIS TIME,
THE ALCOHOL EXTRACTS
FLAVORS FROM THE SPICES.
STAYING TRUE TO THE RECIPE
IS CRITICAL.
ADDING TOO MUCH OF ONE SPICE
OR LEAVING THE SPICES
IN THE ALCOHOL
FOR TOO LONG
COULD RUIN THE BATCH.
AFTER STEEPING, THE LIQUEUR
IS READY FOR THE CINNAMON SPICE.
HE ADDS TWO KINDS -- CASSIA,
WHICH IS FROM INDONESIA,
CHINA, AND VIETNAM,
AND CEYLON CINNAMON,
WHICH ORIGINATES IN SRI LANKA.
HE BREAKS UP
THE CINNAMON TREE BARK
TO INCREASE THE SURFACE
AREA FOR STEEPING.
HE ALSO ADDS TWO DIFFERENT
POWDERED CINNAMONS
FOR EXTRA FLAVOR AND COLOR.
♪♪
HE NOW MAKES SIMPLE SYRUP
FROM ORGANIC SUGAR AND WATER
AND ADDS IT TO THE MIXTURE.
THIS SYRUP PROVIDES SWEETNESS
AND DILUTES THE ALCOHOL CONTENT
SUBSTANTIALLY,
BRINGING IT DOWN TO 68 PROOF.
HE LEAVES THE BLEND
TO STEEP FOR A WEEK.
DURING THIS TIME, HE SAMPLES
THE BEVERAGE DAILY TO CONFIRM
THAT THE DRINK
IS DEVELOPING CORRECTLY
AND THAT THE CINNAMON FLAVOR
IS PROPERLY BALANCED.
THE COLOR CHANGE DURING
THIS WEEK IS DRAMATIC,
AND IT'S AN INDICATION OF
THE CORDIAL'S DEEPENING FLAVOR.
WHEN THE TASTE AND COLOR
SEEM JUST RIGHT,
HE REMOVES THE SPICES AND PUMPS
THE CINNAMON CORDIAL
INTO 25-OUNCE BOTTLES.
THIS BOTTLING SYSTEM
IS EQUIPPED WITH A FILTER
TO REMOVE ANY IMPURITIES.
ONCE FULL, HE CORKS THE BOTTLE.
USING A SPECIAL LABELING
MACHINE, HE ROLLS ON THE LABEL
THAT IDENTIFIES
THE PRODUCT FOR MARKETING.
HE THEN HEAT-SHRINKS A PLASTIC
SEAL AROUND THE CORK.
HE PUTS A SIGNATURE ON IT,
AND THIS CINNAMON CORDIAL
IS READY FOR
THE COCKTAIL CIRCUIT.
♪♪
