Coconut Fermentation In Alcoholic Beverages: Science Behind Flavour, Aromas And More
A fruit with a hard interior and soft, white flesh, coconut has culinary as well as mixology uses in the tropics. For centuries, the milk, flesh and water of this fruit have been fermented to turn them into alcoholic beverages that are used to prepare different cocktails or are served by themselves.
Coconut-based alcohols such as the arrack from Sri Lanka or the toddy from South Asia are indigenous liquors crafted by following fermentation processes that distill the coconut sap into spirits with fruity and floral tasting notes.
Coconut fermentation in alcoholic drinks then methodically converts the sweet tasting, creamy coconut into a robust and complex liquor. This process inevitably affects the flavours, aromas and textures of the resulting spirit, imbuing into it certain distinct tastes that are characteristic of the regions in which the liquor is produced.
Fermenting Coconuts In Alcoholic Beverages
Fermenting coconut water or coconut sap and milk for making alcoholic beverages leads to drinks that contain complex and deep flavours and a light effervescence. Along with the tart taste that comes from fermentation, the drinks also carry the sweetness and density of the fruit itself. These elements come together in multiple layers in the alcoholic blend so that when it is added to cocktails, their tasting notes become pronounced enough to infuse such mixes with robust flavours.
As well, the sweet notes that are part of the fruit, when fermented into alcohol lend the drink such flavours that no additional sugars are added to liquors like arrack or the classic bahalina from the Philippines carrying a rich and slightly smoky profile. Sometimes, the sweet and nutty notes of the coconut are also accompanied by an acidic tanginess that comes from the fermentation process, lending even more of a flavourful complexity to the drink.
In Modern Mixology
Contemporary mixologists have more recently been working with the idea of infusing fermented coconut flavours into different alcoholic beverages. This has involved crafting coconut beers brewed with roasted coconut flesh to introduce these nutty and sweet tastes into the drink. As well, coconut cider can also be prepared by infusing coconut water into an apple cider and yeast mix so the resulting alcoholic beverage acquires the distinctly sweet, pungent aroma of the fermented fruit.
While the fermentation process contributes to shifting the flavours of coconut water to reveal more tart notes, they also imbue lighter textures into alcoholic beverages. A coconut wine made in this manner by using fermented coconut water carries a similarly light texture and smooth flavour, such that the drink is now often incorporated in different contemporary tropical themed cocktails.
Other alcohols like mead can also be crafted using coconut’s dense and creamy profile by replacing the water in the mead with sweet coconut water. Honey and coconut water are fermented together to produce a quality mead containing the creaminess of the tropical fruit.
Fermented Coconuts In Modern Mixology
Alcohols produced by fermenting coconut sap or coconut water are added to a variety of mixes because of their layered flavour profile. Complete with nutty, buttery, sweet and tangy tastes, coconut liquors bring a tropical effect into mixes such as tropical tepache, or fermented coconut served with pineapple chunks.
Added to tiki cocktails made with the additional flavours of coconut milk or mangoes and citrus fruits, these fermented liquors build onto the tangy and acidic qualities of the blend. Such a spirit is also an interesting addition to herbaceous cocktails because it undercuts some of the savoury notes in herbal liqueurs to bring about a robust, yet fine flavour-balance.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
