I’d written before about The 44 after being inspired by a March 2008 article about the drink in Saveur. But soon after we packed it up and moved back to Seattle, so I never actually completed the process and thus, had nothing to share with you. Shortly after Christmas – and after our liquor cabinet was depleted from the holiday festivities – I decided to embark on the rum-infusing journey once more and stocked up on the required ingredients.

Let’s take a little trip down “cordial” lane…

The 44 is a popular rum-infused beverage originally made in Madagascar. It gets its name from the process in which its made as well as the number of days it “brews.” In the Madagascan version an orange is pierced forty-four times to allow the juices to release, then forty-four coffee beans are shoved into the slits. The orange is then placed in white rum and set to rest for, you got it, forty-four days.

I decided to make the French version of this drink, called the Quarante Quatre, which calls for forty-four whole cloves in place of the coffee beans. Within days the color of the rum began to darken and the orange and cloves became more fragrant. We left the jar out on the counter to enjoy the changes in coloration and to every-now-and-then open the lid to smell the sweet aromas.

After patiently waiting for forty-four long days we opened the jar and poured ourselves a small cordial.

The Quarante Quatre
This recipe is so good I recommend doubling it, like we did.

1 liter white rum
1 Navel orange
44 whole cloves
44 teaspoons of sugar (optional)

Deeply pierce the orange with a paring knife 44 times. Stuff the cloves into the slits and skin of the orange. Place the orange in a large widemouthed jar (that has a tight seal) and add one liter of white rum. Add 44 teaspoons of sugar, seal and store in a cool dark place for 44 days.

Note: we opted for a non-sugar version and it is still very tasty!

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There’s something about the cooler months that seem to make spices smell more fragrant. At least to me. Here in Seattle the winter air is crisp and clean. While standing at a street corner waiting for the light to change I catch a whiff of the chai tea I cup in my cold hands. Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves all find their way up to tickle my nose with their sweet aroma. Mmmmm…

I was fortunate to recently be the recipient of a little baggie of chai tea spices made by the Indian mother of a friend of a friend. I wanted the recipe but because this woman was too many degrees away from me I didn’t want to be a bother by asking. So I asked my friend Kailash, who also kindly told me how they brew it in India. Whether I can do it properly is another thing, but I certainly will try as I’m sure it’s loads better than my mass-produced teabag version.

Chai Tea

7 cups water
1 tbsp fennel seeds
6 green cardamom pods
12 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp loose leaf Orange Pekoe tea
6 plus tsp sugar
1 cup of milk (you may substitute soymilk)

With a mortar and pestle, slightly grind spices; just enough to pop them open to release their flavor and fragrance.

Add six teaspoons of sugar to the spices, combine with water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, then bring to a boil again. Reduce heat once more, then simmer until the mixture becomes saffron colored.

Add tea leaves to the water and bring to a boil again. Lower and reduce twice as you did in the first step. Add milk and bring to a boil again.

Strain into cups and serve. Add more sugar to taste if necessary.

Makes about 8 cups.

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