Are Banana-Infused Bourbon Cocktails Becoming The Trendiest Brunch Favourite?
Mixology is an ever-evolving craft and innovation is the marker of the sheer creativity of bartenders who are inspired to prepare rather imaginative blends out of unexpected flavour pairings. One such cocktail variation which is fast becoming the newest trend is the banana-infused bourbon, now a commonly sought alternative in a brunch menu.
What Are Banana-Infused Bourbon Cocktails?
Nudging away mimosas and brunch time bellinis, the newest cocktail on the mixology menu is a banana-infused drink which brings together the sweeter and fleshier notes of this fruit with the smoky and spicy tasting notes of good quality bourbon. These drinks are full of a tropical sweetness, that is subtle yet quite apparent, and which pairs superbly with a number of savoury and sweet culinary preparations.
Bananas bring an undercurrent of creamy and fruity notes in cocktails like the Banana Bread Old Fashioned or the Elvis. Bourbon manages to infuse this mix of dense flavours with its vanilla-like, caramelised notes that compliment the fruit’s sweetness. This velvety, almost dessert-ish feel imbued into cocktails make them appear rather rich and exquisite.
But Why Do These Cocktails Pair So Well With Brunch?
A coming together of creamy, fruity, spicy flavours means these drinks carry complex, sweet-forward notes which are excellent pairings with recipes like waffles, French toast and warm bread rolls. All of these are brunch staples along with fruit platters complete with berries, pineapples and melons.
Such a brunch menu then makes the flavour notes of the banana liqueur or the peanut butter bourbon added to these latest cocktails that much more pronounced. But make no mistake, although these drinks are velvety smooth and subtly creamy, they are nonetheless lightly flavoured which is what makes them interesting options as brunch time drinks.
How To Pick The Bananas And The Banana Infusions?
This rather depends on the cocktails that are being concocted. In fact, in most banana-infused mixes, it is the fruity liqueur which makes the most prominent appearance. Another alternative is a banana-infused bourbon which can be used to prepare a banana bread old-fashioned cocktail. This infusion can easily be made at home by using really ripe, long bananas whose flavours can be extracted into the bourbon by immersing them in the spirit.
Often enough, banana liqueurs and bourbon infused with this fruit can also be mixed with cold brews to prepare craft cocktails full of its creamy and distinctly sweet flavour and aroma. This is a commonly used mixology technique for preparing brunch time cold brews served with a dash of simple syrup and a cinnamon sprinkle that lends them a spicy depth.
In fact, bananas and spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg are excellent couplings that can be brought together to make a flavoured simple syrup. Use bananas that are just about ripe but still a little stiff for preparing this infusion. Add banana chunks to a simple syrup concoction imbued with cinnamon bark and strain this mix well once the fruit’s flavours are extracted into the warm blend.
Adding bananas in the form of infusions ensures the creation of a drink with subtle fruity flavours and spiced bourbon notes that are light enough to work well with a fresh brunch menu.
Popular Banana-Infused Bourbon Cocktails
One of the most popular of such cocktails is the old fashioned infused with banana-flavoured bourbon. This is an interesting flavour pairing with French toast that is served with ripe banana slices and a hint of maple syrup. Another drink is the banarita smash which brings together the peppery notes of mint with the sweetness and tart flavour of banana liqueur as a suitable pairing with eggs benedict and waffles coated in fresh cream.
While serving smoked bacon and eggs for brunch, the drink which shines is the trending Elvis cocktail which brings together about 30 ml bourbon infused with peanut butter with 15 ml banana liqueur that is then topped off with cold brew.
Such a complimentary coming together of mildly spicy and sweet brunch dishes with the quiet density and subtle flavours of banana-infused bourbon drinks is what have made the latter a popular cocktail trend.
Also Read: Don't Throw Away That Banana Peel, It's The Hottest New Cocktail Ingredient
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
