Hot And Cold Drinks

The main effect of hot and cold drinks is the temperature difference. Half of it is hot, and the other half is cold; by appearance, it should not look different from a regular drink, for example, tea or sake. The patron should not suspect anything different just by looking at it, as the main effect is the sensory surprise after tasting the beverage. The brain is getting conflicting information from the sensory cells. Is it hot or cold? There are a few seconds of shock, indecision, and confusion as the person doesn’t know how to react to the unexpected taste.

I use Agar-agar to create this experience, as it can turn a jellified substance into a fluid gel when stirred. If you are wondering what agar is, you will find it is a mix of carbohydrates extracted from seaweed and red sea algae. It is known as Kanten in Japan and has been used since the late 1600s. Agar-agar has almost zero calories and no flavour, odour, or colour; it is also set at room temperature, and unlike Gelatin, it is suitable for vegetarians. Agar is used to make jams and jellies, ice cream, and other culinary desserts.

The method in the recipe below can be applied to any drink; there are probably some other ways of creating the same sensory experience: experiment and have fun with it.

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Yield: 2

Raspberry Lychee Sake - Half Cold Half Hot

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Sake served hot and cold in the same glass.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 3 minutes

Total Time 33 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 oz Sake
• 1 oz Vodka
• 7 oz Lychee juice
• 1 oz Raspberry syrup
• 2 oz Agar

Instructions

1. Dissolve the agar in a bit of Lychee juice for a few minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Boil it - a high temperature is necessary for the gelling process.
4. Set it aside once it is done boiling; it will become a firm gel, usually within a few minutes.
5. Wait until it cools down and put it in the fridge, as we need part of the drink to be cold.
6. When it is ready, take some of it and heat it. It takes me around 20 seconds to get the right temperature and texture in my microwave.
7. Take the same amount of agar gel from the fridge and whisk it or blend it to become a fluid gel.
8. Use sake or a similar glass for the drink.
9. Insert a divider in the middle of the glass and slowly pour the hot and cold sake on each side.
10. After carefully removing the divider, the gel portion of the drink will hold the warm portion.
11. Timing is important as the hot agar sake base will slowly jellify in 10-15 min.

Notes

Different Agar products might need an adjustment of the required amount. I bought a one-time flavoured Agar from an Asian store and had to increase the amount to 2.5 gr, 0.8% of the total liquid volume, to make it work.

Ideas:

Grog- hot and cold

Earl Gray martini

Blueberry sake

Cardamon or cardamon-ginger syrup with Agar as a base.

- infuse with different liqueur flavours and fresh puree.

Serving options: as sushi, hot-cold, or as a base for suspended ingredients.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 93Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 16mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.