Add This Surprising Ingredient To Your Next Cocktail For A Unique Twist

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"Forest floor" is one of those descriptors wine aficionados use to describe the mossy, mushroomy taste and aroma of an aged pinot noir. But you may hear the exact same thing about your cocktails if you start using mugolio to sweeten your drinks. After all, the syrup, which originated in the Italian Dolomites, is made by fermenting sugar with something that can only be found in the forest: pine cones. Mugolio can be used for everything from a drizzle over cheese or ice cream, the sweet base of a vinaigrette, or part of a simple pasta sauce. Bartenders and mixologists, however, like to use it to cut the bite of bourbon in an old-fashioned, add some flavor to a mellow martini, or make a Sazerac, the classic New Orleans cocktail, anything but classic. And ¼ to ½ ounce of the syrup is all it takes. 

If you're calling to mind the brown wooden pine cones that decorate your Thanksgiving table, think again. The pine cones used for mugolio are the immature green ones that start appearing on pine trees in the spring and summer. The original Italian version is made with cones from the pinus mugo tree, but any conifer will do. Alan Bergo of Forager Chef has found that the cones from different trees bring their own unique flavors to syrups. His favorite is from balsam fir, which has spicy, warm flavors similar to allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. Spruces impart a citrus flavor to the syrup, while cedar, he says, tastes like cedar. 

Some bartenders prefer to use mugolio with gin-based cocktails to give them a more mellow flavor. It also goes well with herbal flavors, like those found in bitters and absinthe. Since pine, even young pine, tends to give a warm, winter feel to beverages, it also goes great with a hot toddy or mulled wine.

While it's certainly easier to make a simple syrup to elevate your cocktails, making pine syrup is a facile process. You just need patience, a Mason jar, and equal parts sugar and pine cones (2 cups of each will yield about 2 cups of the syrup). Generally, white, turbinado, or the various brown varieties of sugar can work for mugolio, though white won't impart an amber color to the finished product. 

After the two ingredients are combined, store the jar for four to six weeks where you can watch it, allowing it to get some sun and warmth to prevent mold. During this time, the pine cones will start to macerate, creating a syrup. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, boil and filter the mixture. If you find it too thick, add a little water until it's the perfect syrupy consistency. Then it is ready to add an earthy flavor to your favorite drinks. 

Since pine needles themselves are edible, you can also make a syrup by boiling a handful of them with sugar and water. (Don't do this if you aren't aware of which families of pine produce toxic needles.) And, if foraging isn't your thing, you can always purchase Primitivizia mugolio, a brand made in Italy, to offer the perfect twist to your cocktails without much effort.