substitute for simple syrup, to
bring out the natural flavours.
Ways to ‘Floralise’
Your Drink
Addition of flowers can be
categorised in mainly five
elements as described below:
Garnishes: This one is pretty
straight forward. Without
significantly changing the
taste and composition of the
cocktail, floral garnishes add a
hint of boldness and stunning
visual point of interest to the
drink. A couple of petals or a
few edible pansies, lavender
strand, and Hibiscus bloom
can instantly make the drink
summer-worthy.
Infusions: This takes some
planning and effort. To get
the best out of the delicate
fragrances, infuse the edible
flowers in a neutral spirit,
e.g. vodka. This can then be
used as a base in the cocktail
of your choice. If pressed for
time, some flowers also do
well when muddled. Make
sure you don’t destroy the
delicate flavours by over
crushing. Some infusions also
impart beautiful colour to the
drink, like the Butterfly Pea.
Syrups: If you want to make
your seasonal flowers last
all year long (almost), then
you’d be better off making
syrups with sugar as a base.
These syrups retain the core
fragrance and taste of the
flowers and are handy at the
bar. They are also easy to
work with across multiple
types of cocktails.
Ferments: Fermenting is an
old trusted method to bring
out the funkier elements of
many flowers. Most popular
ferments include: Hibiscus;
Dandelions; Elder flower;
etc. The best part of such
ferments is that you can
experiment with various
spices/herbs combinations to
best suit your palate.
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Dried Flowers: Some of the
flowers, when dried have
a more intense taste and
aroma, than their fresher
counterparts. Best among
these would be rose petals,
saffron strands, lavender etc.
These can be easily stored
and used across a variety of
cocktails.
If you are new to this whole
trend, here are a few rules
to follow:
•
Always use flowers
that are grown organically
(preferably in your own
garden). This will ensure
that you are not ingesting
pesticides and chemicals
which are certainly not a
desirable addition to your
concoction
• Stick to the familiar blooms.
Certain flowers may look
exotic but may not be edible.
September-October 2019
Worse, you may even have
allergies to these. Stick to
Rose, Chrysanthemum,
Jasmine, Orange Bloom,
Butterfly Pea, Hibiscus, etc
to be safe. If you want to go
exotic, try Cherry Blossom,
Frangipani, Honeysuckle,
Baby’s Breath, etc
• Flowers are incredibly
tender. Pluck them only
when you are ready to use
them. Most flowers lose
their fragrance and taste if
you keep them unused for a
longer time
• Experiment! There are
many ways in which flowers
can be used. Try various
techniques with multiple
flowers to find your sweet
spot.
How long will this Last
This trend is as fresh as the
flowers, but as with every
trend it is bound to ebb. But
flowers themselves will not
entirely be eliminated from
our drinks, as ingredients or
as garnishes. We will just find
newer, fresher ways to keep
the blooms well blooming.
We h a v e j u s t s t a r t e d
seeing what is possible with
flowers using the ‘typical’
flowers. As more and more
mixologists experiment
with local flowers and
blooms, we will have a steady
stream of experimental
drinks that will certainly be
worth a sip.