I decided to celebrate the fact that it was Saturday with a fancy pants drink :)
Luckily I came prepared with both a butterfly tea sirup (for colour), lemongrass sirup (for lemongrass taste ‘duh), a lovely rhubarb flavoured gin, and some lemon bitter tonic. Oh, and this snappy mushroom glass.
I topped it off with a nice round piece of ice, a sliver of lime and a pinch of Acai powder for extra flavour and pizzazz.
Toast together in a pan:
1 dl shredded coconut
1 dl sugar
Let caramelize slightly.
Add and boil for about 10 minutes:
2 dl water
1 dl almonds
1 dl sugar
Blitz together using an immersion blender and boil for about 5 more minutes. Sieve and keep in fridge for a about a week.
Boil together for about 15 minutes:
3 stalks fresh lemongrass
3 dl water
3 dl sugar
Let cool, sieve and keep cold
Add as much fresh chopped chili as deemed appropriate together with the rest of the ingredients.
Add some Thai basil for a fresh and herby sirup with Asian vibes.
Substitute lemongrass for lime leaves for a more complex flavour.
Fresh mint
Fresh coriander and chili
Cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon sticks and lime (for p'tit punch… Just add a splash to a shot of rum)
Lavender
Saffron
Rose pepper
Rose petals
Black tea
Macha
Coffee beans
Cocoa nibs
Lemon balm
Chamomile
Elder flower
Usually I don’t waste time measuring simple syrup unless I want to try a new cocktail recipe. The standard ratio is 1:1 for simple syrup and 1:2 for rich simple syrup, where you have a thicker, sweeter result. You can also use confectionery sugar for a lighter simple syrup that dissolves easily in cold water.