Ginger In Mixology: Understanding Flavour Breakdown In Drinks
A popular ingredient used for blending numerous cocktails and mocktails, ginger is complete with a sharp, spicy flavour that lends much complexity to blends. Often, ginger is combined with different citruses like limes and oranges as well as herbs such as mint and basil to craft fizzy spritzers or highballs complete with a mix of sweet, acidic, savoury and spicy notes.
Undoubtedly, ginger has much to contribute to drinks in terms of building their overall complexity which makes it a crucial ingredient in mixology. Understanding the flavour breakdown of this spice then becomes critical for pairing it with spirits and mixers that go into preparing diverse ginger-infused blends.
Spicy And Sharp Tasting Notes
One of the reasons ginger is often incorporated in spritzers and carbonated drinks is because of its sharp and spicy flavours. The carbonated bubbles in such beverages preserve these zingy notes and slowly release them into a blend to lend it a spiciness that lasts for a long time. Ginger can either be muddled into drinks or added in the form of ginger-infused simple syrup for introducing these flavours.
When mixed with citrusy ingredients like lime juice or grapefruit juice, ginger’s spiciness brings out the acidity in these fruits for the drink to highlight their tangy notes. With this, ginger blends with fruity ingredients to produce a mix of tangy and spicy flavours that build a tasteful nuance into blends. Fresh ginger can be sliced and used as a garnish or small pieces of finely chopped ginger can be stirred into cocktails like the margarita made using 30 ml Don Julio Blanco or any other premium tequila of choice.
Citrus Flavours And Juices
Another reason why ginger stands out in mixology is because of its subtle citrus flavours and its juicy texture. Ginger juice can be extracted by blending shredded ginger with a sugar and water mix so that the flavours of this spice are released into the syrupy liquid. Such a juice is complete with slightly sour and citrusy notes that are excellent additions to cocktails like a ginger collins crafted using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice. A fine ginger juice also incorporates this textural smoothness into drinks so that a blend containing syrupy ginger is a smooth and silky mixture of spicy, sour and rich flavours.
As well, these acidic, citrusy and juicy characteristics of ginger can be put to use for making dried garnishes that are coated in sugar. This rounds out some of the sharper flavours in the spice and tones down its more potent notes to leave behind some candied ginger carrying smooth textures and sweet and spicy tastes.
Earthy Flavours And Depth
This spice which grows underground and is harvested by bringing it out of the soil inevitably carries lots of earthy and umami notes that add to its overall flavour profile and are particularly effective in blends that are a mix of savoury and herbal flavours.
Incorporating ginger into different cocktails and mocktails grounds drinks with rich and deep flavours that infuse much earthiness into blends. Generally, beverages prepared for extracting these savoury and spicy ginger notes are crafted with the addition of muddled mint or even basil and thyme to infuse these mixes with their herbal undertones.
A popular aperitif like the negroni can be prepared with the addition of ginger syrup and a hint of thyme along with 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice to highlight these deep flavours. Other popular drinks like a ginger and bourbon smash can also be put together as they bring out similar earthy and umami elements of this ingredient.
Also Read: Ginger And Citrus: 5 Reasons This Is A Mixology Match Made In Heaven
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
