1 1⁄2 oz Aquavit, Aalborg
1⁄2 oz Lemon juice (clarified)
1⁄2 oz Grapefruit juice (clarified)
1⁄2 oz Rich simple syrup 2:1 (Light Karo Syrup (star anise & clove infused- see note))
Instructions

Add ingredients to a mixing tin and stir aggressively to dissolve the Karo syrup into the drink. Add ice and hard shake until well chilled. Strain into a chilled single martini glass (4.5oz). Garnish with a star anise pod.

Notes

Gently warm 4oz of light Karo Syrup with 1 star anise pod and 3 whole cloves for ~10 minutes, making sure to keep it below a simmer. Strain and store.

History

I wanted to make a cocktail using a very non-traditional and currently taboo sweetener: Karo corn syrup. The richness and salinity of the aquavit played perfectly into this drink, and the spice addition added depth; clarifying the citrus added a sharpness and a bonus being visually cleaner, and the drink ended up with a luxurious, almost glassy texture to it. Really incredible!

Cocktail summary
Picture of Lee-Stumper
Jason Westplate
Created by
Jason Westplate
Year
2017
Is the
author's original creation
Curator
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Average
5 stars
(2 ratings)
YieldsDrink
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Comments

How would you go about clarifying the juices? I've used gelatin to clarify stock before, but I've heard good things about agar. Could you mix the juices evenly then clarify the whole thing so you don't have multiple processes going at once? Thanks,  Zachary


Zachary: I used the old egg-white technique (a "gel technique" that works because the acids of the juices cause the whites to curdle and glom onto solid particles to filter out)--that process also gets similar results with agar as well if you want to keep it vegan. If you don't have the money for a centrifuge you could just gravity-clarify (let the juice filter out naturally over a few days or so, though risking oxidation). And you can totally blend the juices to make it easier.