For creating solid cocktails, I use Agar-agar, as it gives us a solid gel. Gelatin and Sodium Alginate can also be used, and it’s only a matter of personal preference for the type and presentation of the drink one wants to create.
Agar-agar is a plant-based Polysaccharide derived from seaweed, a red algae plant. It is vegetable gelatin used as a thickener in gluten-free recipes. Agar comes in different forms, including strands, powder, flakes, and bars. It is also sold in different flavours, like coffee or jasmine.
Acidity can affect the strength of the gel; some citrus fruits, such as lemons, strawberries, and oranges, may require more agar-agar than the recipe calls for. Also, it would be best to cook fresh mangoes, papaya, and pineapple, as their enzymes will break down the gelling ability of the agar-agar. Cooking these products before using them will neutralize the enzymes and allow the gel to set.
There are some differences between Agar and gelatin. Agar must be cooked with liquid to about 185F or 85C; gelatin is soaked in warm water. The textures are also slightly different; Agar usually tastes firmer than gelatin.
It all depends on what type of Solid drink you are after. If you want to create a Hot&Cold cocktail, you have to use Agar, a layered one like B52 -go for gelatin; it is probably better to use Sodium Alginate. These cocktails can be served as flights or on a side as an additional flavour to an already-made drink.
The easier way to create a drink is to deconstruct already known one; it will be easier for people to associate the taste with the unexpected texture.
One of the first Solid cocktails I made in the late 2000s was Sex on the Beach. I also used foam and spherification methods to make this drink.
Sex On The Beach
Ingredients
- 7 oz water
- 0.5% of the water - Agar Agar
- 4 oz vodka
- Peach foam
- Orange caviar
- Fresh, dried cranberries
Instructions
- Bring the water and the Agar to boil.
- Remove it from the stove. Add the vodka and let it solidify – 40 to 50 min.
- Use a cookie cutter to create the shape you want.
- Top with peach foam and orange caviar. Sprinkle with dried cranberries.
Peach Foam
- Make a peach puree by blending diced and peeled raw ripe peaches with 1/2 oz lemon juice.
- Pour into a taller container. Add water to achieve a juice-like consistency if the puree is too thick.
- Add 0.5% of the puree volume, Xanthan gum.
- Blend with an Immersion blender or use a whisk to mix it.
- Strain it slowly to get rid of the air bubbles.
- Pour into the iSi Whipper, not more than the capacity of the canister, and charge it with an N2O cartridge.
- Shake it a few times and put it in the fridge.
- It takes approximately 10 minutes to develop good foam. You can also keep it in the fridge for a few days.
Orange Caviar- I made the caviar using Direct Spherification.
- 8 oz fresh Orange juice.
- 1.5 Sodium Citrate -optional if the juice's acidity is below 3.5.
- 0.8% or 2 gr of Sodium Alginate.
- 5 gr Calcium Chloride for 1 L of water.
- Dissolve the SC in the juice if using it.
- Add SA and soak it for 5 minutes.
- Blend it with an Immersion blender.
- Strain it slowly to eliminate air bubbles, or rest it in the fridge for a few hours.
- Prepare the Calcium Chloride bath by dissolving the CC in cold water.
- Fill a syringe or a squeegee bottle with the SA-orange mixture and drop it slowly into the CC bath.
- The cooking time is about two minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the caviar and strain it.
- You can keep it in the fridge for a few days, but the longer it sits, the more jellified it will become.
- Assemble the cocktail.
It sounds like many steps, but once you figure out how to make Foams, Caviar, etc., creating any molecular mixology cocktail doesn't take long.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 563Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 8gSugar: 56gProtein: 7g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
