All Your FAQS About Making Pumpkin Cocktails, Answered
While many may not think of pumpkin while making a cocktail, the winter squash is becoming a popular flavour to add to drinks. Thanks, Starbucks. The ingredient brings out the sweet and warming flavours and hence it is popular trending among the masses. One can use canned pumpkin or one can make the purée and/or blend from scratch. Even leftover pumpkin from your kitchen can be used to make those purées and blends for the drinks. The pumpkin cocktails gain an additional flavour profile when infused with some spices.
While pumpkin is a great ingredient to add, one needs to be careful about how it is added to the drink. It is important to know how the squash's taste can be enhanced with other ingredients. It is also crucial to understand what kind of spirits and liqueurs go well with pumpkin's earthy flavour.
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Below are some helpful FAQs that will help you make delicious pumpkin cocktails.
Q. How much pumpkin purée should I use in a cocktail?
Pumpkin purée is added to cocktails to give them warmth, sweetness, and earthy flavours. When there are spices added along with pumpkin puree, it adds a punch to the drink. To ensure the pumpkin's flavour doesn't overpower the drink, you must know the proportion between pumpkin purée to the cocktail. Ideally, the amount of pumpkin purée shouldn't exceed the amount of the base alcohol.
Q. What type of pumpkin purée is best for cocktails?
Purées made out of small baking pumpkins make for the best ones. You can use sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin to make the purée, which tastes better than the larger pumpkins. You may also use canned, store-bought purée, which will take little effort.
Q. What spirits go well with pumpkin purée?
Bourbon, brandy, vodka, wine, beer or aged rum go well with the warm spices of pumpkin pie. Liqueurs such as salted caramel liqueur, coffee liqueur and Irish cream also complement the winter squash's flavour. Ensure you are not adding it with strongly flavoured spirits such as spiced rum or rye whiskey as you will not get the taste of pumpkin at all. Also, note that lime and pumpkin just don't mix well.
Q. How do I adjust the thickness of the pumpkin purée in my drink?
The thickness of pumpkin purée is adjusted through the spirits, liqueurs or syrups used in the cocktail. This varies from cocktail to cocktail as the composition of spirits, liqueurs or syrups changes in every drink.
Q. Are there any complementary ingredients that enhance the pumpkin's flavour?
Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cumin and chilli go very well with pumpkin. To enhance its sweetness, add ingredients like chocolate, maple, honey, cranberries or brown sugar.
Q. If I'm using pumpkin purée, do I need an additional sweetener in my cocktail?
Pumpkin purée has its own subtle sweet taste. You don't need additional sweetener unless you want the cocktail to have a sweet flavour profile. You can add liqueur, honey, maple syrup, chocolate, berries or brown sugar to acquire the sweetness.
Q. Which garnishes or toppings should I consider for my pumpkin purée cocktails?
Cinnamon powder, cinnamon stick, rosemary sprig, star anise, orange peel, cherry, and whipped cream can be used as garnishes. You can also add nutmeg and coffee beans as garnish. You can be innovative with garnishes as pumpkin cocktails can have diverse flavours.
While it is great to have an occasional drink, one should be cautious about the consumption of alcohol. Make sure that you consume alcohol in a moderate fashion. It is important to serve and drink responsibly. If you know anyone who is unable to limit one's drinking, kindly refer the person to a professional.
