Beyond The Tropical Colada: 5 Tips For Using Coconut In Modern Mixology
When one thinks about coconut in mixology, one of the first drinks that pops up is the classic tropical piña colada. Made with a dash of coconut cream or coconut milk, the cocktail acquires its classic dense and creamy note as a result of this creamy fruit. Yet, there’s more to coconut than its use as a dense textural flourish in cocktails and mocktails. From making coconut water coolers to infusing rum with its nutty flavours, the possibilities of incorporating this fruit in modern mixology are immense.
As an amateur mixologist working with different tropical ingredients, coconut can be one of the fruits that you use widely because of its subtle sweetness, its nutty flavours and its creamy nuance. And there are several interesting ways to incorporate it in cocktails, carrying balanced flavours and a tropical effect.
Here are some handy tips and hacks that you can put to use while crafting modern drinks using coconut in all its varied forms:
Balance With Acidity
While coconut cream or coconut milk is known for building a creamy texture into cocktails, it also carries a density which might make certain dessert-forward drinks appear heavier. One of the ways to get around this is to balance the sweet and dense notes of coconut with a hint of acidity. This can come in the form of muddled yuzu, limes or pineapples added to the cocktail for a fresher touch. With this, the lush and dense flavours of the chilled coconut cream remain intact even as they are balanced by a touch of sour notes.
Textural Play
Which form of coconut can be incorporated in drinks depends on the intended effect of the cocktail. While blending a sweet-forward cocktail, coconut cream or coconut milk can be interesting alternatives because they lead to denser and sweeter textures befitting the dessert theme. Yet, while making spritzers and coolers which require a light, tropical flair, coconut water is the finest ingredient to use for incorporating its nutty yet fresh notes in highballs and bubbly fizzes. So, switch between these two textural densities depending upon the cocktails you wish to blend.
Also Read: Coconut Water: How Does Clear To Cloudy Texture Impact Mixology
Spirit Infusions And Fat Washing
One of the more modern and technical elements in mixology is the technique of fat washing spirits and cocktails. In this contemporary form, coconut oil can be used to fat wash spirits like rum which not only lends them a silky texture but also infuses a rather interesting, Caribbean, tropical, nutty element into them. Other techniques like adding toasted coconut chips to tequila-forward cocktails or serving a coconut-washed bourbon old-fashioned at a cocktail party can turn this ingredient into an instant showstopper.
Coconut As A Garnish
While this is hardly a new phenomenon, the kind of cocktails that incorporate coconuts as garnishes make all the difference in refashioning this fruit in modern mixology. Toasted coconut flakes or coconut chips can be used to garnish drinks which contain other Asian-inspired infusions such as the herbal and grassy notes of muddled lemongrass or the citrusy effect of yuzu. Clarified cocktails or clear spritzers can also be adorned with creamy, white tender coconut flesh for an elegant look.
Unexpected Spirit Pairings
In modern mixology, coconut can be used in rather surprising and unexpected ways to craft flavour pairings that oddly work. Think coconut syrup with gin or coconut milk and chilli syrup infused into mezcal or even coconut fat washed whisky as base ingredients for building modern cocktails. With these, coconuts can go beyond their tiki-inspired use to become cleverly dynamic and layered fruits, compatible with lots of fresh ingredients.
Pro Tip: Always use chilled coconut cream, coconut milk and tender coconut water while making cocktails and shake hard with ice for proper emulsification.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
