The U.S. Mule — a molecular cocktail available at Todi Mill Social, Mumbai.
Ever
seen a tuft of harmless candy floss, which when placed in a martini glass,
dissolves into a heady cosmopolitan? Ever imagined being able to bite into
layers of jelli-fied vodka? Or even better, having intoxicating spaghetti
shots?
Enticing
to look at and exhilarating to taste, we get you the science behind these
modern, molecular cocktails.
The Schizophrenia at Todi Mill Social, Mumbai.
What
are They?
Similar
to the mini revolution that molecular
gastronomy brought about for food, your average Joe drink is spruced
up – and how – by the techniques of molecular mixology.
Molecular
mixology plays with the flavours, textures, and ingredients of a drink to
create a most dramatic effect. What’s interesting is that there is no
significant difference in taste – but it is the entire drama of creating that
cocktail, the whole visual appeal, that adds to the magic.
A
molecular cocktail can be prepared in several different ways – using gels,
powders, foams, atomised sprays, etc. These cocktails look very different from
your regular martini glass as the very shape of the cocktail changes with the
injection of chemicals.
The
‘Science’ Behind Them
Molecular
mixology uses scientific methods for changing the molecular structure of
alcohol. Just like water converts to ice at 0 degrees, similarly various
ingredients change their state at certain temperatures. Alcohol may
exist in the liquid state – but with an armoury of scientific concepts at a
mixologist’s disposal, the latter can serve it in solid as well as gaseous
forms.
Here
are some popular techniques:
Apple Foamtini at Farzi Cafe.
Smoked
Cocktails: Take a cinnamon stick, burn it and invert a glass over it.
Obviously, the flame will die out but you will be left with a smoky cinnamon
fragrance.
Cocktail
Gels (or Fancy Jell-O Shots): Unlike the traditional college jelly shots,
the cocktail gels are made with perfectly crafted cocktails, unflavoured
gelatin and impressive garnishes.
Molecular
Caviars/Spheres/Raviolis: These are made using a combination of two edible
chemicals – sodium alginate (align, a sea weed) and Gluco/calcium chloride.
These can be added to champagne, cosmopolitans, margaritas, etc., to make them
more interesting. One can also create a complete mojito cocktail inside a
sphere.
Molecular
Foams/Air: These are cocktails in gaseous form (foams), with the use of
nitrous cylinder and foam gun. Examples include whisky sour with passion fruit
foam, Cosmopolitans with watermelon and mint air – among others.
Grilled
Cocktails: Did you know your favourite cocktails could be grilled?These are
made using grilled fresh fruits and ingredients. Examples include grilled
honey and lemon Caipiroska and grilled Bloody Mary.
Desert
Molecular Cocktails: These include creations like Toblerone Sorbet (a mix
of Baileys, Kahlua, Crème de cacao & Frangelico, turned into a sorbet using
Liquid nitrogen) or Champagne sorbet (Champagne
Cafes
that Whip up Unique Mixes
Spaghetti Shots at Farzi Cafe.
Mango
Gin Spaghetti (Farzi
Café, Gurgaon): This is prepared using the jellification technique. The end
product actually looks like spaghetti pasta with a flavour of mango and gin.
B-52 Sphere at Farzi Cafe.
B-52
sphere (Farzi Café): You couldn’t come across a more classic combination
of flavours if you tried. A perfect layer shot, this is made with baileys,
kahlua and orange liqueur. Specification is the name of the game – a technique
used to make them into spheres. Funnily enough, the spheres look like egg yolks
at the end of the process – yet, thankfully, taste nothing like one!
The Pink Floss at ARK, Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai.
Cocktail
Jelly (ARK
Cocktail Popsicles
(Todi Mill Social, Mumbai): Colourful martini popsicles of various
flavours – including apple, watermelon and sour cherry – are used to create
these imaginative cocktails: Limoncello and Raspberry Whiskey Sour Popsicles.
Watermelon
Martini with Vanilla Foam (Todi Mill Social, Mumbai): This is a freshly muddled
watermelon and kaffir lime vodka base martini – topped with a Lecithin foam for
a creamy head. This also complements the base flavour of the cocktail.
Flavoured
Ice-Chamomile and Cranberry Cocktail (Todi Mill Social, Mumbai): This is made
using ice cubes or spheres flavoured with cranberry and orange zest. As the ice
melts, it releases the aromas and flavours of that ingredient into the
chamomile-infused whisky cocktail instead of diluting it.
Potential
Mixologists be Warned!
Molecular
cocktails aren’t difficult to make but they are time consuming. Also, you have
to be very careful with the proportion of chemicals as they can be harmful.
Some methods like the flavoured ice or use of candy floss are easy to execute
but when it comes to the use of chemicals or molecular equipments one needs to
have the right skills, experience and proper education to get it just right!
(Expert
inputs by Ami Behram Shroff, flair bartender and Nitin Tewari, Trade
Ambassador, Bacardi India
