Picante Cocktail: Explaining The Effect Of Bitters On Drink Flavours
A cocktail that was first crafted by London’s Soho House, the picante has now quickly become popular for its citrusy flavour, crisp texture and its blend of spicy and savoury notes. Mixologists have been working on reimagining and refining the recipe of the picante cocktail such that different ingredients have been incorporated into the blend to further build upon its flavours. One such element that is often added to the classic picante recipe is bitters.
Generally, bitters constitute ingredients such as limes or oranges soaked in alcohol so that the resulting liqueur becomes infused with the tart and citrusy flavours of these sour fruits. Yet, bitters are added to a number of different cocktail concoctions not only for their tart taste but also for the flavourful and textural density they add into blends. The case of the picante cocktail is no different.
Bitters introduce different floral, smoky, aromatic and even chocolatey notes into a blend so that they contribute to adding a potent, flavourful layer to the recipe. While the spicy, tequila-based cocktail contains spicy and herbal notes of its own, bitters lend the drink their signature tart taste that brings these different flavours together. Evidently, adding different kinds of bitters to a classic picante would complement other tastes in the drink as they build on the usual recipe to create more imaginative flavour combinations.
Bitter Variations For The Picante Cocktail
Different kinds of bitter variations can be added to a picante cocktail prepared using 30 ml Don Julio Blanco Tequila or any other premium tequila of choice. These depend on the flavour notes that bitters are meant to release into the picante cocktail. For instance, adding orange bitters introduces citrusy notes in the recipe and rounds out the spicy touch of chillies that are integral to the cocktail.
As well, when the picante is infused with flavours of muddled coriander, the addition of celery bitters plays into these herbaceous and savoury tones to craft a cocktail complete with similar earthy and grassy tastes. Such is the case with smoky bitters too, especially when they are added to picante cocktails which replace the tequila for a caramelised and smoky mezcal.
If that’s not enough, chocolate bitters are also sometimes added to picante cocktails to infuse into them nutty and earthy notes that undercut the spiciness of the chopped up red chillies added to the blend. On the other hand, it is the habanero bitters made using the spicy chilli pepper that in fact build into similar flavours of the cocktail, meant especially for those who enjoy such added spiciness in the drink.
Pairing Picante And Bitter Variations
Generally, 2-3 dashes of bitters are added to a cocktail shaker while preparing the picante cocktail before shaking so their flavours are fully integrated into the blend. Sometimes, a lone bitter is allowed to float on top of the glass so it releases some of its aromas in the form of a garnish.
Which bitter to add to the picante depends on the flavours that will be most highlighted in the recipe. So, an herbal picante complete with coriander and mint is often infused with savoury celery bitters for an earthy touch. In picantes that are complete with citrusy notes of oranges and grapefruit, citrus bitters full of tart and sour notes are generally preferred as they build similar flavours into the blend.
Often, in cocktails containing a slightly pronounced spiciness, the picante is balanced out with the addition of chocolate bitters whose nutty flavours tone down these spicy notes while infusing the drink with a rich, velvety texture. Adding bitters to picante cocktails is inevitably a skillful process and when done right, it leads to the creation of cocktails containing much complexity and flavourful depth.
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