Check out these tips from mixologist Jennifer Martiesian on how to successfully add just the right amount of floral notes to your cocktails.
Shutterstock: Milan Tomazin
Floral cocktails are a great idea for spring time, but sometimes a floral flavor can be too overpowering in a drink. Mixologist Jennifer Martiesian of Big Night Entertainment Group has some tips for giving a drink subtle floral notes without becoming the main focus of the cocktail.
Technique 1: Rinsing
In order for the right amount of “flower power”, we rinse a glass in floral water to obtain the essence of an ingredient that would otherwise be too overpowering in a cocktail. Examples of essences include orange blossom or rose petal water. The technique is simple:
- Pour about a quarter of an ounce of the rinse into the glass.
- Swirl the rinse around the glass to ensure all sides are coated with it.
- Discard the excess rinse in a sink.
- Pour the cocktail into the freshly rinsed glass.
The outcome is a nicely balanced cocktail that perfectly pairs ingredients without any one flavor being too overpowering.
Technique 2: Infusions:
Alcohol infusions are very simple. It is the act of infusing flavors of your choice into a base alcohol of your choice. You can infuse any type of base alcohol and you can choose from fresh fruits, dried fruits, berries, nuts, spices, flowers, vegetables, herbs; the possibilities and combinations are endless! We love infusing liquors with edible spring flowers for a more bold and unique floral touch. The technique is as follows:
- Pick your base alcohol.
- Pick your infusion ingredients.
- Prep your ingredients (wash, chop, peel, etc.)
- Put them all together in a sterilized sealed jar or container.
- Store in a cool, dark place for designated time (this varies depending on ingredients)
- Once complete, strain to remove any sediment, seeds, pulp, etc.
- Add the mixture into a cocktail.
Need some inspiration for tried and true floral pairings? Check out our favorites below. Remember, Fruit pairs well with floral notes as they balance each other out well.
- Strawberry and Hibiscus
- Yuzu and Thyme
- Strawberry and Lavender
- Rose Petal and Peach
- Fig and Rose Hip
- Blueberry and Elderflower
What is your favorite floral pairing?
