Bridget’s dad had a birthday party over the weekend. I helped him celebrate by drinking rum spiced with 21 hot peppers. That was even better than I thought it would be, and I thought it was worth walking across town for.
Dead simple recipe:
- Grow little hot red peppers all summer.
- Watch them ripen.
- Harvest them.
- put them in a bottle of rum.
- Wait a week.
- Drink.
It’s that last step that’s a doozy, of course. This was not a drink for the faint of heart. But if, like me, you ocassionally find yourself glancing up at the sun and thinking it looks tasty, this might be your new favorite cocktail. Why 21 hot peppers? Wikipedia allows as how its a Haitian tradition to celebrate the Brigid, who they revere as Maman Brigitte. From the article:
Maman Brigitte is worshipped as the Lady of the Cemetery; her colors are purple, violet and black. She is the wife of Baron Samedi, and characterised as a hard working, hard cursing woman who can swear a blue streak and enjoys a special drink made of rum laced with 21 hot peppers. People suspected of faking a possession by her may be asked to drink her special rum or rub hot peppers on their genitals, which she occasionally does. Those who are not truly possessed are soon identified.
No one suspected me of faking possession by Bridget, which is a good thing, because the test sounds grisly. The rum was delicious, though. A perfect drink for toasting little Bridget’s health.
Related posts:
