When done right , few thing hit the spot on a hot Nox like a margarita . But what if you could take a margarita , continue the same crisp flavor , and make it totally clear ? Do n’t demand why . Just bank us .
It ’s Friday afternoon , you ’ve made it through the long week , and it ’s time forHappy Hour , Gizmodo ’s weekly strong drink newspaper column . A cocktail shaker full of innovation , science , and alcoholic beverage . Yippitydoo , let ’s get intoxicated .
Clarifying Clarification
There are several ways to go about clarifying a liquid . Our friendsat Booker and Dax in NYC , for case , use a centrifuge to clarify banana for one of their potable . The mellow g - forces created pulls the solids away from the liquid , effectively separate them . Very cool , except A ) yu can only do a little amount at a clock time , and B ) you need to own a friggin ’ centrifuge . Not exactly convenient .
https://gizmodo.com/reinventing-the-cocktail-or-how-to-set-drinks-on-fire-5891165
For a much more square - forward method which can easily be done at nursing home , we turned to top San Francisco bartenderTim Zohn , who is the Browning automatic rifle handler atAQ Restaurant and Bar .
“ It really is a design choice , ” said Tim , when we ask him why you might want to do this . “ It does ‘ await cool , ’ but it also pop the question another avenue to explore with cocktail . Sometimes you might require the citrus component part in a drink but for aesthetic reasons you do n’t want the color or the mirky face . ” Indeed , if you were to choose between two cocktails that taste the same , but one looks good and one looks like clay , which are you go to go with ?
The underground ingredient of this technique is agar agar , aka “ vegetarian gelatin , ” which is made from seaweed . you may pick it up at most health food storage . The agar agar binds to the solids in the succus , and the solid state are where the color is . So when the agar agar curd are strained out , you ’re leave with a clean liquid . Surprisingly , though , it retains well-nigh all of the savor . If anything , it ’s sharpened a little .
you’re able to use this same technique for orange juice ( exonerated screwdriver , anyone ? ) , pineapple , or just about any fresh succus . Tim demonstrated it with fluxing lime succus , and made us a rather toothsome vindicated margarita . Here ’s how to do it .
What You’ll Need
Limes
Agar Agar
Cheese cloth ( gamy quality )
a fine mesh strainer
Tequila blanco
Cointreau
It ’s also extremely helpful to have a kitchen scale capable of measuring grams .
Directions
1 . Juice ( either by hand or with a citrous drinker ) enough limes to make approximately 20 liquid ounce of succus ( or 600 grams , by exercising weight , or 2.5 cups ) . Run it through a strainer to remove seeds and mush .
2 . In a humble sauce pan , heat five troy ounce of water ( or 150 grams , or just over half a cup ) until near boiling . Then whisk in two Gram of agar agar ( just about two - thirds of a teaspoon ) into the body of water , and bring to a simmer . Continue simmering — whisk often — for two to five instant , or until the agar agar is totally disolved .
3 . Once the agar agar is completely disolved , remove from heat and pour into a metal bowl . Then , whisk as you go , start slowly pouring the lime juice into the bowl with the agar agar . ensure it is mixed in slowly and thoroughly . Once it ’s all added , transplant the bowl to model in an meth bath . Your electric refrigerator should exploit in a nip , it just might take a little longer . get it sit down for 20 mo or so , until it gelatinizes .
4 . While you ’re waiting for the agar agar / hydrated lime succus miscellanea to set , line your strainer ( or colander ) with several layers of cheesecloth . Three or four layers should do . You want to ensure each level is wide of the mark enough so that the mixture wo n’t be able-bodied to go around it .
5 . Once everything is set , gently pour the mixture into the cheesecloth cover strainer . Allow it to drop through , then lift it up and give it some gentle squeezing with your handwriting , but not hard enough to push the agar agar curds through .
You should be exit with some very clear linden succus . If it ’s still cloudier than you would wish ( we rushed it a diminutive bit in the video ) , you may also flow it through a paper coffee tree filter .
You may be wondering why you have to prepare the agar agar separately . Would n’t it be easier to just seethe the lime succus and then summate the agar-agar nutrient agar to it ? Well , yes , it would , but you would be doing so at the cost of the flavor . By cooking the lime succus you would be miss those oils and aroma — essentially deal out the fresh lime juice gustatory perception to save a two minute of arc . It ’s not deserving it .
The Clear Margarita
The Clear Margarita is wonderfully elementary to make , once you have the clarified lime juice , and it ’s damn delicious , too .
2 ounce tequila blanco
1 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce clarified linden juice
Ice
Lime slice for garnish
In a shaker , add the tequila , cointreau , clarified lime juice , and a handful of meth . Put the lid on and escape from it ( or stir it , if you prefer a strong potable ) . Strain into a rock candy glass , and garnish with a slice of caustic lime . It tastes incredibly saucy for something you’re able to see right on through .
https://gizmodo.com/shaken-or-stirred-which-gets-you-drunker-a-scientific-5897248
Now , if you follow the video , you ’ll discover that it ’s a bit murkier than you would expect . Not to worry . That ’s mostly from the oxygenation that was triggered by shake off it . After a few minutes , once the drinking nail down and the bubbles escape , you ’ll have a very clear drink .
Of of course , clear-cut margarita are n’t the only thing you could make with clarified lime juice . Tim write to us afterwards with another estimation :
After you left we used some of the clarified quicklime juice for a daily special at AQ , we took Audrey Saunders Old Cuban cocktail and made a cleared variant ; muddled spate , lily-white rum , clear up lime juice , velvet falernum and a float of angostura bark bitterness and Champagne-Ardenne , we stirred the cocktail so there was no aeration for a fun take on her Greco-Roman drink . It savor the same ( or very unaired ) but looked like light liquid in a glassful , so it was surprising to guests .
Sounds luscious . We ’ll be back in weeks to number with more from Tim , so keep derive back every Friday afternoon for moreHappy Hour .
Timothy Zohn is the Bar Manager at AQ Restaurant in San Francisco , He has spent the last eight days working at some of the dear bars in the city with some of the good bartenders in the country . He is lofty to call San Francisco home . you could find him on Twitter:@TimothyZohn
Thanks to Tim and toAQ Restaurant and Barfor hosting us .
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