DrinkWire is Liquor.com’s showcase for the best articles, recipes and reviews from the web’s top writers and bloggers. In this post, The Whiskey Muse offers a tamarind recipe.

Have you ever had tamarind before? No?

I bet you may have and not even realized it.

Drank a Caesar? Eat Indian Chutneys? Like Thai Curries?

Tamarind can be found in many dishes and drinks including even Worcestershire Sauce (which is commonly used in Caesars of course)! This legume/pod-like fruit is indigenous to Africa but is used in cuisines around the world. Less familiar in Western Canada, I was intrigued to try a Tamarind Juice that I picked up at a small asian market recently. After trying the juice I was pleasantly surprised with its flavour and knew that is would work well in a sour. Adding a few additional ingredients including cardamom bitters and cayenne pepper amp up the traditional whiskey sour and provide a refreshing, spice-filled take on this classic..

INGREDIENTS

2.0 oz Bourbon
1.0 oz Lemon Juice
2.0-3.0 oz Tamarind Juice
0.5 oz Vanilla Simple Syrup**
3 dashes Scrappy’s Cardamom Bitters
2 dashes Cayenne Pepper
1.0 oz Egg Whites
Kefir Lime Leaf, Cayenne Pepper + Edible Flowers for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

In a cocktail shaker add bourbon, lemon juice, egg whites, cayenne pepper, simple syrup, tamarind juice and bitters. Shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Break the cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake for an additional 10-15 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a dash of cayenne pepper, kefir lime leaf and edible flower.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

**To make the vanilla simple syrup bring 1 cup of berry sugar and 1 cup of water on medium heat to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Use 3-4 tbsp of pure vanilla extract or split open a vanilla pod and let sit in mixture for 48-72 hours. If you’re using the vanilla pod, strain out and serve!

PS – Have you ever heard of or tried kefir lime leaves? I am excited to incorporated them into more and more cocktails – they are unbelievably fragrant and an exceptional ingredient to use in your food and drink. Step aside bay leaves, there’s a new ingredient in town.

xoxo

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