Riga Flip
COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 30 ml Dark Jamaican Rum
- 30 ml Riga Black Balsam (Original)
- 15 ml Maple Syrup
- 15 ml Heavy Cream
- 15 ml Egg Yolk
- 22,5 ml Egg White
( or one small egg)
- 2 dashes Cacao Bitters
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
GARNISH:
- Freshly Grated Nutmeg
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
• Dry shake to emulsify the egg.
• Add ice and shake until chilled.
• Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish with some freshly grated nutmeg.
I have long been sceptical about flip style cocktails. Something about a whole egg in the drink, that did not sit well with me. However, I managed to bring myself around and finally try one. Surprisingly it was amazing, and it immediately inspired me to give it a shot at creating my very own flip style cocktail.
I have started by thinking what kind of ingredients would go well with rich texture of a flip. I have considered using bourbon as a base spirit, but quickly changed my mind and chose funky dark Jamaican rum with its sweet molasses and subtle fruit notes. It played very well into the decadent style of the cocktail. Next, I added a touch Riga Black Balsam for its complex aromatic, herbal and fruity notes. In the beginning it was just a touch, but as the recipe developed it ended up more as a split base cocktail with black Jamaican rum and Riga Black Balsam mixed in equal parts. To counteract the bitterness of the balsam I chose maple syrup as a subtle sweetener which complements deeply complex profile of the balsam. In order to achieve silky smooth texture a small amount of heavy cream was used to mix with the egg. I finished the cocktail with some fragrant freshly grated nutmeg.
The first taste of this cocktail was very surprising. I could swear it tasted like chocolate, even though it was not used in the specs. However, I liked this chocolaty quality of the cocktail and decided to experiment with a touch of cacao bitters to emphasize this note. That was the last touch this cocktail needed.
Final result was a rich, decadent, silky-smooth cocktail with complex taste and almost desert like quality. It is not the kind of cocktail I would drink many in one night, but I would definitely choose it when looking for something indulgent.