Coconut Cocktails: 6 Pro Tips To Mix The Most Delicious Drinks
Coconut and alcohol is an age-old combination wherein the creaminess of condensed coconut milk or the subtle sweetness of tender coconut water become really flavourful ingredients adding a complex layer to chosen spirits. Rum cocktails infused with coconut cream or coconut milk are the perfect concoctions to make when you are crafting alcoholic mixes for a tiki party or an island-themed party. Coconut is widely used in the tropics for their ready availability and for their cooling properties which really add a bit of oomph to spiky rum recipes. So, adding this soft, tender fruit to rum or tequila soaked drinks is the perfect way to introduce a hint of a tropical or seaside feel into your cocktail glass.
However, when to add coconut milk and how to use coconut cream in a mix is basically mixology 101, meaning you can employ some clever tips and tricks to make sure your coconut infused drink has all the balance of an excellent cocktail. This is because coconut is a very versatile ingredient and you can make several combinations out of liquors and the fruit flesh to make mixes like the piña colada, a blue Hawaiian or a classic coconut punch. And getting the measures and choice of coconut mixer right, makes for really spectacular flavour pairings.
Read on below for some handy tips and tricks you can apply when you next turn mixologist at home and dabble in this tropical mixer:
Use Coconut Rum
When you are crafting cocktails for a tropical finish, go the extra mile and use coconut-flavour rum as your choice of liquor. These flavoured spirits are trending quite a bit among mixologists today because they reduce the array of mixers required to craft a cocktail. With coconut rum you can introduce the flavour of this fruit into your base liquor itself and then build on it by adjusting the amount of coconut water or milk you add to the blend.
Coconut Cream Galore
If you want to craft a denser version of a piña colada or any other cocktail made from coconut milk, swap this liquid with a slightly thicker coconut cream. This will add more intensity to your cocktail and infuse it with a denser texture. When you make coconut cream cocktails, you can also opt for a 45 ml pour instead of your usual 30 ml because this drink can pack a lot of booze.
Coconut Shavings Garnish
When you want to enhance the flavours of coconut present in your classic cocktails, go for garnishes which highlight this tropical fruit. Serve the drink in a coconut shell and garnish it with tender coconut shavings. You can munch on the coconut malai or the soft shavings while sipping on the cocktail. This will nicely balance out the bittersweet notes of the drink because the subtle notes of the shavings create a very pleasingly soft sensation on your taste buds.
Mix Mindfully
Coconut milk is after all milk, which means it is prone to splitting. If you end up adding too many odd ingredients to the cocktail, it is possible that you will end up splitting the drink, curdling the cream or coconut milk added to the mix. So, avoid overmixing your drink, making sure that the milk does not separate. Instead, gently stir or shake the mix for a fine blend.
Blend With Ice
Tropical drinks are best served cold which means your coconut based cocktails must be prepared with generous amounts of ice. Blending also enhances the overall texture of a coconut-heavy cocktail so you can simply use a proper blender to bring all cocktail ingredients together and add ice for making chilled, frozen concoctions.
Add Coconut Sugar
Do away with traditional sugars and sweeteners and instead add coconut sugar to your cocktails to highlight the core flavours of the mix. The coconut sugar undoubtedly enhances tropical flavours but it also becomes a fine sweetener for making simple syrups to add a heightened nuance to any drink which wants to celebrate this fine fruit.
