Hot Pepper–Bourbon Syrup

This spicy, not-so-sweet hard sauce is splendid with any roast: turkey, chicken, lamb, and especially pork. Notice that there are two types of pepper in this recipe: red and black. The reason is not for color (although the contrasting specks do look nice together); it is because different peppers hit the palate at different places. Red pepper (cayenne) tends to warm the back of the throat, jalapeño heats the lips, and black pepper radiates around the center of the mouth. When food tastes pa