Black Thai Affair...
I heard the Oscars are on today. I won’t pretend to care about the Oscars, but I won’t pass any reason to make a swanky beverage or meal, either.
I happened to buy a lot of Thai-inspired ingredients at Trader Joe’s this weekend, so my inner bartender unleashed its creativity (and might do so every weekend going forward…) to produce this little number. Pretty lovely colors and SO fresh.
Not sure what Brad Pitt or Ryan Gosling will be wearing tonight–in fact, I’m not even sure this award ceremony will occur in person? But while the stars are presumably donning their black ties and Versace, I hope you can slurp on these Black Thai’s and play fashion police from your couch.
Thai ingredients
I don’t actually know for certain, and I could really learn more on southeast Asian cooking, but Thai ingredients that could lend themselves to libations are jalapeños, ginger, basil, honey, and limes. Maybe peanuts.
Blackberries probably don’t grow in Thailand…I think they are a European fruit. But I’m on a blackberry kick, so whatever! Anyway, ingredients don’t need to come from the same place in the world to work together for a higher purpose like cocktails.
Grab all of your bartender toys
If you’re in the business of collecting kitchen gadgets, listen up. There are just a few essential bartending tools you NEED to make a good drink. This recipe calls for all of them. Then there are fun extras that you could get by without, but might want nonetheless. Here are the essentials…
- Muddler. For mashing fresh herbs and berries
- Cocktail shaker. With a built-in strainer and cap. If you have a fine mesh colander, grab that, too. Cocktail strainers still let seeds through.
- Channel knife. Have you ever seen a martini with a twist? Channel knives create the twist. Don’t use a regular knife.
- Micro zester. Citrus flavor is all in its skin, and you extract it by zesting it. Don’t use a cheese grater.
The fun extras… not necessarily needed for this recipe, but always fun to have!
- Fun straws! I usually use paper striped straws or thick plastic straws. If you don’t have straws, try a sugary or salty rim. Melted chocolate or lime juice help most things adhere to the glass.
- Garnish skewers. These are like extra long toothpicks and provide a mini snack to complement your drink. You could do without them and slice fruit or cheese to slide right on the glass.
- Old fashioned ice cube trays. They make ice cubes look much more elegant than generic refrigerator cubes. If you can’t, go for crushed ice.
- High ball and low ball glasses. Like wine, the type of glass you serve your drink in matters. You wouldn’t serve soup on a plate, would you? But if you lack the space for multiple types of glasses, every-day drink ware or even plastic cups can get the job done.
- Fresh herbs and flowers. Mint, basil, thyme, and rosemary all make fantastic and fresh additions to garnish a drink with. Small flowers like baby’s breath or jasmine also take a cocktail to the next level when sprinkled atop.
I know it sounds a bit putzy, and it is. But I don’t think J. Lo puts her Oscars outfit together without a bit of fuss. It takes work to look extra good! And the reward for these black Thai’s is HIGH. This is a stiff, fresh, sweet ‘n’ spicy drink, my friends, perfect for channeling your inner Joan Rivers and gawking at Hollywood. Happy slurping.
Black Thai Affair
Equipment
- Fine mesh strainer
- Muddler
- Cocktail shaker
- Micro zester
- Channel knife
Ingredients
- 3 bunches Basil leaves ~6 leaves per bunch
- 10-12 Blackberries Plus 6 more for garnish
- 1 Jalapeño chopped (seeds included)
- ½ tsp Fresh ginger grated
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 4 oz Gin Hendricks, preferably
- 4 dashes Orange bitters
- 1 Lime
- 1 cup Ice
- 8 oz Ginger beer
Instructions
- Take one of the bunches of basil and remove the leaves. Place leaves in a cocktail shaker with 10-12 blackberries, and chopped jalapeño (including seeds).
- Peel about an inch off of a ginger root and use a microzester or grater to grate 1/2 tsp of it directly into the cocktail shaker.
- Add honey, gin, and bitters directly to cocktail shaker.
- Using a channel knife (or a regular knife) cut two twists off the lime, about 3" long each, and reserve for garnish. Zest the remainder of the lime directly into the cocktail shaker. Then slice the lime and juice it over the cocktail shaker.
- Place ice in cocktail shaker, cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Get a large liquid measuring cup and place a small, fine mesh strainer above it. Remove the cocktail shaker top and pour the contents over the strainer. (This is double straining it and may take a while and some extra shaking.) It will yield about 1 cup of liquid.
- Distribute the cup of liquid between two low ball glasses. Insert an old fashioned ice cube in each glass. Top with ginger beer. Garnish by tossing three blackberries around the ice cube in each glass and place the remaining basil bunches in each glass. Serve with a straw.