Add a dollop of creamy richness
I once wanted to serve exotic cocktails with a twist for a party and suddenly thought of adding cream. Normal dairy cream curdles in alcohol, so I experimented with the non-dairy whipping cream I use in desserts. The results were encouraging, with friends and family lapping up the cocktails. My Grasshopper with cream topping was the talk of the evening.
Non-dairy whip topping cream is quite handy to have in a bar. “Our whip topping is a great alternative to fresh cream, ice cream, half and half and milk, in making frosty coolers, creamy cocktails and mocktails,” corporate chef for Rich Graviss, Pankaj Jain says. I can vouch for it, as when I used it, the taste it lent to the cocktails was much appreciated.
Blow Job, White Russian, B 52, Black Russian, Angel’s Kiss are popular cocktails where cream is used. Alexander is yet another favourite of mine, made with gin, chocolate liqueur and cream.
But the numero uno cream-based cocktail is the Grasshopper. Comprising green creme de menthe, white creme de cacao, and heavy cream, it tastes like a cross between an Andes mint and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Because of the robust flavour as well as the thick body of the drink, it need not necessarily be enjoyed with food. Dark chocolate enhances its flavour.
Why are creams added to cocktails? Sonali Mullick, senior manager, operations and transition, MUCB, explains, “Cream gives body to a cocktail. It changes the visual appeal, thickens the drink apart from adding sweetness. Shake, layer or top with it depending on the cocktail but never use citric ingredients as this will curdle the drink.”
The cream used in a cocktail can range from half and half, for a lighter drink, to heavy cream. However, blending the drink using a blender and ice cream, with a little milk, creates a wonderful, heavy and rich cocktail.
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