Beetroot Agavoni

There is no secret that the past decade has seen the resurgence of all things vintage and classic. Be it the most weird, wonderful and forgotten of cocktails, antique equipment, vintage glassware, retro uniforms or snazzy beards it seems bar culture along with the cool kids and hipsters can't get enough of bygone eras. It's true that classics are a vital part of any bartenders repertoire and it cannot really be argued that having a solid foundation of classics is invaluable but I have to pose a couple of questions:

1) Are bartenders getting obsessive and overly geeky about classics?

2) Does the average consumer really care that much about them?

Well I'm sure everyone has their own opinion on this (in which case i'd love to get your feedback in the comments section to start a good old debate) but without getting into it too much I would suggest this. Unquestionably there are classics which are known and loved by the masses, drinks which are staple feature on cocktail lists the world over. Lets sight the Margarita, Daiquiri, Mojito and Negroni as just a few of these. At the same point there are bartenders who will scoff and sigh at the mere mention of these, viewing them as too mainstream to be credible in todays bar world. Well from my side I have to say this, for bartenders its fine to be curious and geeky.......indeed indulge to your hearts content, but in the business of bars if what your serving needs to be lectured to the guest it probably isn't going to be the best for your bottom line.

Anyhow quandaries aside, back to the task at hand. At the liquid state one of the principles we work with is incorporating culinary techniques into our drinks repertoire. The belief her is spending a little extra time to produce a specific ingredient can land huge rewards to the drinker, adding layers of flavour and intrigue. So putting this into practise we came up with the beetroot Agavone, a modification of the classic Negroni/Agavoni family. If you want to have a shot at making this drink here is what you will need:

Glass: Double Rocks

Ice: Cubed

Method: Stirred

Ingredients

• 30ml Blanco Tequila (Don Julio or other)

• 25ml Punt-E-Mes

• 10ml Aperol

• 10ml Beetroot & Berry Gastrique

• 0.5ml Pimento Dram (Atomised)

• 1dash Orange Bitters

• One orange twist to garnish

Equipment

• Cocktail Mixing glass and strainer

• Bar spoon

• Jigger for measuring the liquid.

• Blender for making the vanilla and chilli sugar for the mocha paste.

• ISI canister (AKA cream whipper) and nitrogen gas bullets.

• Good quality espresso coffee.

• Good quality extra cold ice.

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Method

Step 1: Make your Beet & Berry Gastrique.

The first question most people ask is "what the hall is a gastrique"? Well in a nutshell, a basic gastrique is a reduction of vinegar and sugar that can be infused with just about anything you’d like, from liquor and alliums (garlic, onions, shallots) to any fruits you have on hand. It’s meant to bring out the assertive flavors and saltiness of meat, and look good while doing it. Now from this you can be as simple or as complicated as you want in order to get to your desired end result. When coming up with this articular ingredient we did play around quite a bit (more so to improve batch amounts) so here are two options for you to try:

Option 1: The Simple Recipe

• 1 Jar Pickled Beetroot (340g with Juice)

• 15ml Balsamic Vinegar

• 10ml Gomme

• 70g Strawberry (3 pcs)

This will yield around 120ml

Production Notes

1) Place the balsamic vinegar in a shallow pan and place on a medium heat

2) Add the entire jar of beetroot and beetroot juice and mix in with the balsamic vinegar. (jar is around 100ml Beetroot juice). Do not press or break up the beetroot as it will make the liquid cloudy.

3) Add the sugar syrup and strawberries and continue to stir.

4) Allow to reduce until the mixture starts to lightly thicken.

5) Take off heat and strain then allow to cool.

6) Decant into sterile container. Mark with production date and clear indication of product

Note: Do not throw away the beetroot, this can be dehydrated for garnish

Option 2: The Sexy Recipe

• 1 Jar Pickled Beetroot (340g with Juice)

• 100ml Earl Grey Tea

• 100ml White Balsamic Vinegar

• 50ml Dark Balsamic Vinegar

• 50ml Agave syrup

• 1 pinch malden salt and cracked plack pepper

• 2 Bay Leaf

• 70g Strawberry (3 pcs)

This will Yield around 250ml

Production Notes

1) Place all of the ingredients into a pan, cover with butter paper and a lid and place on a low heat.

2) Allow to reduce slowly (this can take up to 2 hours) until the mixture starts to thicken.

3) Take off heat, allow to cool then strain.

4) Decant into sterile container. Mark with production date and clear indication of product.

Note: Do not throw away the beetroot, this can be dehydrated for garnish

Step 2: Prepare your pimento dram

Also known as allspice dram, Pimento can either be bought (The Bitter Truth make a good one), or made. If you need to do the latter its quite simple but as with anything you can be as experimental as you like. For our recipe all you will need is the following:

• 250ml Overproof Rum (Wray & Nephew is good)

• 150ml Golden Rum (Appletons VX or other)

• 100g Demerara Sugar

• 1/2 Cup Dried Allspice Berries (Grounded)

• 10 Cloves

• 1 Cinnamon Stick

• 1 Vanilla Pod (cut through the middle)

Place all ingredients into a mason jar and allow to sit in a cool room for at least 3 days. In order to maximise the flavour we suggest leaving for 3 weeks. Whilst doing this you should mix the contents of the jar once per day to ensure even flavour distribution. Once ready strain so that there are no sediments left and decant. For the agavone you will need to place the pimento into an atomiser (AKA perfume mister).

Step 3: Make Your Drink

As always now comes the fun part. Grab a chilled mixing glass and simply pour the first four ingredients into it using the measures above along with the orange bitters. If you prefer your drink slightly more on the bitter side feel free to substitute the Aperol with Campari. Fill the mixing glass with good quality ice and start stirring. What you are aiming for is a consistent appearance to the liquid (the same brightness and colour from top to bottom), a good chill and of course the correct balance of flavours. As you stir stop and test the drink from time to time, if it tastes like some of the elements are too predominant give it some more time. Eventually everything should fall into balance, but be careful too not to over-dilute it. From here you will need a rocks glass and a big chunk of ice. If you don't have large cubes or spheres though don't worry, it will still work with regular ice, it just might not look quite as lovely. Decant everything into your glass pouring over the ice.

Step 4: Garnish and Serve

Almost there people, almost there. By now you would have made your pimento and have it all ready in an atomiser. You don't want to go too crazy here, in this case less is more! One burst of pimento over the surface of the drink is more than enough to give some fantastic depth to the overall cocktail. Lastly prepare and orange twist and sprits all the oils over the drinks surface too. This will give a pleasant lift to the finish of the drink and help round out some of the pimento taste. And Voila, you have your Beetroot Agavoni. Happy drinking and be sure to leave your questions, comments and feedback below.

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