You NEED To Try This Cereal Cocktail

I’ve always been a fan of cereal sans milk. It’s the best for snacking and avoiding cold, soggy spoonfuls. But this creamy, cinnamony bourbon cocktail from Maggie Hoffman’s new book, The One-Bottle Cocktail, has me rethinking the sweet leftover liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Created by Jared Hirsch of NickelDime Syrups and Sidebar in Oakland, CA, the Breakfast of Champions starts with a Honey Nut Cheerios and milk infusion.

“Whether or not Honey Nut Cheerios were your favorite accompaniment to Saturday morning cartoons as a kid, this creamy whiskey drink is too fun to resist,” Hoffman writes. “Bourbon slices through the sweet, nutty flavor of the milk, and it’s all enlivened with a sprinkle of cinnamon.”

The milk infusion makes enough for two drinks, so scale up if you’re serving a crowd. Oh, and your friends would probably appreciate cereal milk that isn’t your leftovers.

Breakfast of Champions cocktail:

• 3/4 ounces 2:1 honey syrup (see recipe) 
• 1 1/2 ounce bourbon
• 3 ounces Honey Nut Cheerios–infused milk (see below) 
• Freshly grated or ground cinnamon and cocktail pick with skewered Cheerios, for garnish

1. For the honey 2:1 honey syrup: Mix two parts (say, 1 ounce) honey with one part (so, ½ ounce) hot water and stir until dissolved. 
2. Combine bourbon, honey syrup, and Honey Nut Cheerios–infused milk in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled, about 20 seconds. Double-strain into an ice-filled collins or juice glass and garnish with cinnamon and a cocktail pick with skewered Cheerios. 

Honey Nut Cheerios–infused milk:

• 1 cup Honey Nut Cheerios 
• 1 cup whole milk 

1. Combine Cheerios and milk in a resealable container. Refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring or shaking occasionally to help the Cheerios break down. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a resealable container, pressing on solids to get as much liquid as possible, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Words by Katie Macdonald at Food52

[Photo by James Ransom]