How to Use Chinese 5 Spice in Cocktails: A Handy Guide and Recipes
You may have heard of the five-spice blend being used in Chinese cooking; it’s akin to garam masala, allspice, panch phoran, Ras Al Hanout (from North Africa), or Baharat (from Lebanon). The Chinese 5 blend usually includes five basic spices: star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon (cassia), Szechuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. Its widespread use in various dishes can be attributed to the heady combination of warm, sweet, and spicy flavours it brings to any type of meat and vegetables. Use it in meat dishes, stews and soups, desserts, and even cocktails for a unique infusion of flavours.
Why Use 5 Spice Blend in Cocktails
You can take cocktails to a new level by incorporating Chinese five-spice, which will add depth, complexity, and a distinctive twist. Because the spice blend is warm and fragrant, it can complement a wide range of spirits. Use a store-bought blend, but the best experience will be with freshly made because the flavours will be their potent and fragrant best.
How to Make Chinese 5 Spice at Home
Making the spice mix at home also allows you to customise the quantity of each spice to your preference. While the main ingredients remain the same, adjusting the quantities will make your spice blend different compared to someone else’s.
Ingredients:
2 cinnamon sticks (cassia bark)
1 tbsp of fennel seeds
6 pieces of star anise
2 tsp of Sichuan peppercorn
1 tsp of clove
Method:
Dry roast the spices in a pan till they change colours and are fragrant. Don’t leave the pan unattended because the spices might burn. Once this is done, set them aside to cool.
The traditional way is to grind them using a mortar and pestle but if you don’t have that at hand or don’t want to put in the manual labour, put them all in a spice grinder and crush into a fine powder.
Transfer into a sterilised glass jar.
Here’s How You Can Incorporate the Blend in Cocktails
Spiced Mai Tai
Ingredients:
45 ml of white rum
15 ml of lime juice
15 ml of orange juice
15 ml of triple sec
15 ml of five spice infused simple syrup
15 ml of aromatic bitters
Method:
Create a simple syrup with equal parts sugar and water, and add the Chinese 5 spice blend. Stir and bring the liquid to a simmer.
After about 3-5 minutes, remove the saucepan from heat.
Strain the syrup to remove any remnants of the spices. You want to do this while it’s still hot otherwise the syrup will cool and thicken, and the spices will just stick to it. Store in a sterilised jar or bottle.
For the cocktail, combine all ingredients except the bitters in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake and chill, then strain into a highball glass with ice.
Pour the aromatic bitters over a bar spoon to create a layer.
Garnish with a star anise pod and serve.
Spiced Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
10 ml of five spice infused simple syrup
A dash of orange bitters
2 dashes of black walnut bitters
45 ml of bourbon
30 ml of any aged rum
Lemon twist for garnish
Method:
In a mixing glass or shaker, add a cube of ice and all the ingredients.
Give this mixture a stir for about 15-20 seconds, so the cocktail is well-chilled.
Pour into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.
