Bitter élégante

Notes: Amer Picon is a bitter-sweet aperitif. It can be tricky to find but you can pick up this great ingredient at specialist spirit shops or online at The Whiskey Exchange or Amazon.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

For this recipe you’ll require

• A non-reactive container i.e. plastic bowl or tupperware
• Whisk

MAKING THE IPA REDUCTION

• Bottle of IPA
• 100g Sugar

In the container, add one standard bottle of IPA and whisk to remove the fizz from the beer.

Once the bubbles have dispersed and the froth has disappeared, add to a pan over a medium heat. Add in 100g sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat source and leave to cool.

MAKING THE PINEAPPLE SHERBET

• 1250ml Pineapple Juice
• 2tsp Agar Agar
• Approx. 1g Citric Acid

This is great and is essentially a clarified juice. The clarification intensifies the flavours and leaves you with a silky, insanely rich, mouth tingling liquid.

Over a medium-high heat add 750ml of quality pineapple juice. Once heated, add in 1-2 tea spoons of Agar Agar. Stir until dissolved.

Whilst still warm add the remaining 500ml of pineapple juice, mix and immediately transfer the entire juice to a non-reactive container, seal and place in the freezer for 4-5hrs or until the mix is solid.

Once frozen, remove from the freezer and place the frozen juice in a large sieve lined with a tea cloth. Over the next couple of hours, you will see the clear juice dripping through as the block defrosts – the cloth will hold back the fibrous material by the aid of the Agar Agar, which is a gelling agent.

Collect the now clear juice and weigh. Add the equivalent of 0.1% of citric acid to the mix – i.e. if your clear juice weighs 500g use 0.5g of citric acid. Sweeten to taste.

Note: You can buy edible citric acid from Asian Foodstores, Lakeland, Wilkinsons and some online retails such as Tesco Direct.

Cocktail recipe created by Rich Woods, aka The Cocktail Guy