Make Lychee Negroni For A Delicate Fusion Of The Asian Fruit And Italian Aperitif
For mixologists and bartending enthusiasts, coming up with different spirited concoctions is all about dabbling in varied flavour combinations and pairing rather unexpected ingredients to arrive at mouthwatering mixes.
From a fusion of sherbets and thandai with classic cocktails like the old fashioned to mixing savoury ingredients with sweet cocktails, mixologists experiment with flavours and tastes across cuisines and cultures in inventive ways that continue to make cocktail craft a very dynamic affair.
Such a combination of global flavours and cocktail culture comes together in the making of the lychee infused negroni, an Italian aperitif carrying the taste of an Asian fruit. Lychees are found in abundance in several Asian provinces where they are incorporated in fruit juices and mocktail concoctions for their distinctly sweet flavour and aroma.
Negroni, for its part, is a fresh and bold drink that is most savoured at the evening cocktail hour because the sparkling notes of campari and gin exude a welcoming flavour perfect for a dram enjoyed over a long period.
Lychee Negroni
Preparing a lychee negroni blends the flavours of the tropical fruit with the Italian aperitif and is concocted to add a touch of sweetness and an exotic flavour to a traditional pre-dinner tipple. Fresh lychees can be enjoyed by themselves as a fruit but when lychee juice is added to any drink, it introduces a very floral and juicy note into the mix. The fruit is quite chewy and in juice form it retains some of its thicker appeal so your blend acquires quite a bit of depth and heaviness.
Lychee negronis reflect this complexity of fruity and tangy flavours blending with each other in a harmonious mix. A classic negroni is prepared using gin, campari and a splash of sweet vermouth to craft a drink containing many vibrant flavours. Keeping these ingredients intact, add to the cocktail a dash of lychee syrup or lychee liqueur to introduce the fruit’s taste and aroma into the blend. You can either use canned lychees to prepare a puree or simply make juice out of the freshly peeled fruit. Either way, the taste of the lychees will seep into the gin and sweet vermouth mix to make for a complex concoction.
Garnish this drink with fresh lychees so that their chewy flesh is caught in your teeth between mouthfuls of the cocktail. You can also use lychee liqueur in place of syrup or juice when you are preparing this cocktail in bulk in order to prevent the drink from becoming excessively sweet.
A Tropical Affair
Since lychees are widely consumed in the tropics, such a cocktail infused with the fruit is the perfect alternative to serve at a party which celebrates the cultures and tastes of these regions complete with sea shores and humid climes.
You can make lychee infused negronis the next time you are hosting an event which features these tropical notes in the form of different refreshing cocktail recipes as well as lots of delicacies like fresh fruit platters or tacos that are almost always accompanied by a vibrant and boldly flavoured salsa.
Negronis are generally enjoyed as aperitifs or pre-dinner drinks because they are said to prepare your stomach for a delicious meal that will follow your cocktail hour. In keeping with this tradition, prepare negronis in large batches with lychee infusions and add to them a touch of citrus zest in the form of an orange peel garnish so it counteracts some of the intensely sweet and tart notes in the blend.
The next time you plan to host a tropical themed affair and are wondering which cocktail to serve, you can always opt for the lychee infused negroni and revel in its indulgent notes. Add a dash of prosecco to your classic cocktail recipe to give it a more sparkly touch. Serve a side of cheeses and tropical fruits like mangoes and pineapples with your lychee cocktail to complete the tropical theme.
