Pine Syrup: A 5-Step Expert Approved Tasting Guide
Are you fond of going foraging and enjoy collecting some of the most beautiful plants and florals growing in your backyard or in the woods behind your cottage? It is only evident then that you would come back to your kitchen with lots of pine cones and pine needles particularly during chilly, autumnal months. And what better way to put these earthy trees to use other than making a delicious syrup out of them that can enhance the complexity of your cocktails and elevate the overall feel of your cocktail bar?
You can make pine syrup by first making a simple water and sugar mix and infusing that with pine needles so that their essence oozes into the drink and makes it potent and aromatic. It is very easy to craft lots of flavourful infusions using pine needles and pine cones too, such as a vanilla or spice infused syrupy mix. However, before you start mixing cocktails using pine syrup, familiarise yourself with all the different tasting notes of the drink. Without this intel, you might just end up jumbling certain flavours for a mix that is far from appealing!
Here’s how you can navigate the tasting notes in a pine syrup infusion:
Look For A Deep Hue
Before you can taste the syrup, carefully gauge its colour because the clearer its hue the more potent the liquid. Sometimes, the amber notes which add depth to this mix can be very dark, signalling a well-rounded drink with fuller notes. It also means that the pine used is of good quality and might have more robust notes that can be used to craft classic cocktails. This simple syrup can be enjoyed in a bit of gin to elevate its botanical flavours.
Syrupy Texture
No matter the flavours in a pine cone infusion, it has to have a syrupy texture to work well as a mixer. This means you have to pay careful attention to the thickness and levity of the mix when you first take a sip of the drink. Let it roll on your tongue for a little bit so you can appreciate the textural nuances better. This works for more experimental drinks like a pine syrup and dark rum mix which carries really complex flavour notes.
Appreciating Aromas
One of the ways in which connoisseurs enjoy their liqueur is by first absorbing its aromas and then appreciating its taste and texture. When you are tasting pine syrup, spend some time studying its aromas. The denser the fragrance, the sharper its taste. You can also decipher how well the drink’s fragrance will compliment the aromas of other liqueurs and spirits and whether the different smells will blend well, especially when you are trying to come up with more unique mixes.
Experimental Pairings
When you have a large batch of pine syrup ready, you can actually get creative with your tasting game. This is when you can make small tasters out of pine syrup and alcohol to enhance your understanding of different flavour pairings. If you are trying to come up with really eclectic marriages, try going for sweet and savoury concoctions or introduce a zesty, gingery kick into the drink to elevate its taste. You can also experiment with classic cocktails and substitute fruit juices with pine syrup for its fragrant qualities.
Mixing For Mocktails
Pine syrup works well in mocktails. You can make sherbet-like concoctions by adding pine syrup to water or sparkling water for a slightly different mouthfeel. But before you do this, try mixing different proportions of pine syrup and water to arrive at the perfect flavour balance. An understanding of a substance’s taste means you know how much of another ingredient to add so you can highlight the base flavours. So, once you have begun to appreciate the taste of pine syrup, you will be able to adjust the volume of water or fruit juice added to the drink to make your own mocktails at home.
