Infinite Monkey Cage
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 60 ml Thyme, Saffron & Honey Distillate
(Pakruojo Dvaro Spirito Varykla)
- 30 ml Honey & Saffron Syrup
- 30 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- 22,5 ml Egg White
- 2 Dashes Cardamom Bitters
GARNISH:
- Thyme Sprig
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
• Dry shake to emulsify the egg whites (20-30 sec).
• Add ice and shake until chilled.
• Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Add additional three drops of cardamom bitters on top.
• Garnish with a sprig of thyme.
HONEY SAFFRON SYRUP:
• Follow the instructions of how to prepare an ordinary honey syrup.
• Towards the end of heating add a pinch of saffron (one pinch to approx. 150 ml of syrup).
• Let it steep in the hot syrup until it cools off.
• Strain the saffron out and bottled the syrup.
• Keep it in the fridge.
Once I noticed a new and interesting looking bottle of Thyme Saffron and Honey distillate when passing by at the airport, I knew I had to give it a try. I gathered some ideas and the end result was a sour which I named after my favourite science podcast: Infinite Monkey Cage.
Base spirit dictated the direction and taste of the cocktail. Because of the subtleties of the distillate, I have chosen to pair it with ingredients that would reinforce the individual tasting notes. Honey syrup infused with saffron was one of such additions. Earthy sweetness of saffron paired with botanical sweetness of honey is a match made in heaven. Balance comes from some fresh lemon juice tartness with a few dashes of cardamom bitters binding it all together and increasing the complexity of taste and aroma. Final addition of egg whites provides a lovely foamy texture, making drinking experience that much more pleasurable.
All my efforts resulted in this pleasantly surprising sour cocktail which definitely broadened my taste horizons when pairing different ingredients. That is why Infinite Monkey Cage seemed like a suitable name for it, since this podcast keeps broadening my science horizons with every new episode.