Coconut Water: How Does Clear To Cloudy Texture Impact Mixology
During summers, one fruit that will inevitably make it onto a mixologist’s roster is coconut. With a hard exterior and a creamy interior, this tropical fruit is a very versatile ingredient that can be incorporated into a number of different blends prepared in summer weather. Coconut water is extracted from tender coconuts or even from the slightly older and browned coconuts to add to different blends ranging from a coconut infused old fashioned to a coconut water and gin fizz.
The texture of this sweet and light water has an important role to play in influencing a cocktail’s overall composition. That is why mixologists tend to choose coconut water of a colour, consistency and age that best suits the drink being prepared. While some blends like the coconut and tequila cooler require clear and fresh tender coconut water, others such as the coconut infused espresso martini cocktail can pair well with a slightly velvety and more mature coconut water that builds a nuttiness into the coffee cocktail.
Clear And Fresh Coconut Water
Generally, coconut water extracted fresh out of tender coconuts tends to be very clear. It also carries a very light flavour and subtle hints of the fruit, even as it brings textural character to different blends. Such a clear coconut water is a readily available mixer with a watery consistency that builds upon liquors in drinks like coconut gin and tonic that can be prepared using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice.
Clear coconut water brings a lightness into the drink without overpowering it with too many tropical flavours. It provides the cocktail with a light mouthfeel that is particularly interesting texturally, especially in summertime drinks at a tiki party or island-themed gathering. The crisp textural element that such fresh coconut water brings into cocktails adds the finishing touch to several blends like a classic highball, a tropical spritzer or a mojito infused with the flavours of this tropical fruit.
Syrupy And Velvety Texture
A slightly mature coconut water means there is more time for the flavour to develop within the fruit leading to a drink that can appear slightly cloudy. While clear coconut water does little to affect the colour or density of a cocktail, a more mature mixer can in fact make a blend more dense and creamy. It can also give the drink a hazy depth that is characterised by the cloudy texture of the water, bringing more complexity into the cocktail.
This aged coconut water is slightly sweeter too, so that it builds such tasting notes into different tropical blends. It is incorporated in the making of many creamy or dessert-like drinks which require this consistency.
Blending a slightly more mature coconut water into cocktails like espresso martini cocktail or a tropical piña colada adds a creaminess into these drinks so they can do without the dollop of whipped cream generally used to make such sweet-forward blends. Evidently, along with a shift in visual appearance, the textural nuance of the slightly cloudy coconut water also brings in more flavourful integration into creamy mixes.
Fermentation And Carbonation
When coconut water is fermented for a longer duration, its sweet notes are imbued with slight acidity and tanginess. Stored for longer still, it turns into coconut liquor with a milky appearance and a subtle effervescence. Complete with creamy, nutty and earthy notes, this version of the coconut water can be added as an additional flavour element to different mixes such as the coconut mojito or the coconut paloma made using 30 ml of a premium tequila blanco such as the Don Julio.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
