fig leaf + oolong
Figure it out
Rum, Fig Leaf, Coconut Water, Pineapple, Falernum, Milk, Oolong Tea
Ive been messing around with the flavor of fig leaves recently and found that theres a certain coconut and cinnamon/ baking spice vibe to it. Adapting the bones of a clarified pina colada on the Punch Drink site, I infused fig leaves with rum and subbed out lime juice for an equivalent acidity of pineapple juice.
With milk clarified drinks, a lot of character tends to be muted in the punch, so i wanted to add another layer of flavor via oolong tea. Steeping the tea directly in the milk allows the proteins to bind to the tannins in the tea, which would bring down the astringency but still provide the earthy, nutty flavor of the oolong. The milk is also helpful in binding to the astringent properties of over infused fig leaf rum, so its very forgiving in that sense.
What you get is a clarified pina colada esque cocktail with floral and baking spice notes in the front, but toasty and nutty in the back.
3.75 oz fig leaf white rum
2 oz coconut water
1 oz velvet falernum
1.75 oz pineapple juice
.25 oz rich syrup (2:1)
1.5 oz oolong milk
.9 g citric acid
.45 g malic acid
Add all ingredients except milk together, then pour into a vessel containing oolong milk. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then pour into a coffee filter/oil filter. Liquid should run cloudy, then clear. Once you see clear drops coming from the filter, switch vessels, then pour the cloudy mix back into the filter. Bottle and store.
To serve, add 3.5 oz punch to a mixing glass with ice and stir until cold. Pour over a large ice cube and garnish with a fig leaf coin.
fig leaf rum
25 g fig leaves
300 ml white rum
Add fig leaves and white rum to a non reactive vessel and let it sit overnight, then strain the solids
Oolong Milk
5 g oolong tea
150 ml whole milk
Heat milk and oolong tea together until it reaches a boil, then cut the heat and let steep for 5 minutes. While it’s reaching a boil, stir constantly to avoid caramelization.