Cashew Inside, How 'Bout That? A Nutty Cocktail Infusion Theory
Creamy, delicious and luxe, the cashew is a well favoured dried fruit used to concoct many sweet treats. It is also the perfect addition to savoury foods whenever you want to give them a silky smooth and luxurious finish. Cashews are also excellent additions to cocktails and are used widely in making some classic recipes that become quite decadent because of its slightly sweet and notoriously indulgent finish. In fact, cashew liquor is also a potent spirit and in many parts of the subcontinent, feni is consumed with relish because of its distinct taste and aroma.
Adding cashews to cocktails means elevating not only the textural element of your drink but also enhancing its flavour profile to make it more complex. You can craft several cocktails out of cashew infused ingredients to add this depth to the drinks you most savour. Cashew infusions are great additions to those mixes which contain other creamy and milky elements like kahlua or a spot of Baileys Original Irish Cream liqueur because these similar flavour notes blend well together. And there are some really clever ways to introduce cashews into your infusions.
Read on below to know more about some of the ways in which you can add cashew infusions to your cocktails to elevate your drink to a whole other level of luxury:
Cashew Orgeat Syrup
Orgeat syrup is usually crafted from soaked almonds scented with aromatic rose water and is a splendid addition to cocktails which require a potent essence of the dried fruit. The syrup can be a bit tricky to prepare but if done right, the results are sublime. You can make orgeat syrup using cashews too, all you need is a skillet on which you lightly toast the dried fruit before mixing it with sugar and water. Blend the mixture smooth and strain it through a sieve to add to drinks like mai tais and tiki cocktails for its sweetness, nuttiness and a hint of creamy luxury.
Cashew Infused Brandy
Another way to incorporate cashews into your cocktails to enhance their flavour profile is by making cashew infused brandy. The spirit is widely used in cocktail craft, from a brandy alexander to a sidecar, several mixes use quality brandy as the base liquor while preparing delicious drinks. You can add a touch of creamy indulgence to these classic recipes by incorporating the earthy yet sweet notes of the cashew into brandy or cognac. Cashews pair well with the bitter spirit and tone down its intense flavours.
Cashew Vodka
Another alternative is to introduce cashews into vodka, which in itself is a rather versatile spirit. You can use cashew infused vodka to prepare classic mixes like a moscow mule or a vodka martini because its nutty undertones will add an unexpected depth to any cocktail recipe. Cashew vodka can be made simply by steeping cashews into vodka, storing it away in an airtight container so that its flavours ooze into the liquor before straining.
Cashew Cream
If you like milk or cream-based cocktails like a piña colada or a creamy martini, you cannot go wrong with the inclusion of some cashew cream. At a tiki party, you can also turn to cashew cream or milk instead of your regular coconut cream to make cocktails that are just as luxe and decadent. Prepare cashew cream by soaking raw cashews overnight before blending them with water into a smooth liquid. This can be strained to get rid of any grainy material and the silky cashew cream can be incorporated into white russians or creamy margaritas for their smooth finish.
Cashew Infused Rum
Another spirit which can well handle the nutty, earthy, sweet and creamy qualities of the cashew nut is rum. You can infuse both white and dark rum with cashews to arrive at a mix which is full of some distinctly indulgent and quite dense flavour components. The rum can then be used to make classic cocktails like daiquiris and rum old fashioneds, all with a thoroughly nutty twist.
