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This fruity and frothy cocktail is one of our favourite things about winter.
About the cocktail
As the weather cools and the rust-coloured autumn leaves fall, thoughts wander to fireside beverages, cosy woollen socks and comfort food. With that in mind, we give you the most of-the-moment seasonal cocktail you can whip up: the Mandarin Sour. Mandarins are excellent. And the easiest way to incorporate mandarin into a drink isn’t faffing about with juicers – just muddle some fresh fruit. Make the most of autumn and winter’s finest with this recipe we’ve fast become obsessed with. Trust us, it’s outrageous. It’s not hard to see why the Pisco, Whiskey and Gin Sours are still so popular, but this guy takes citrus to new heights. With this recipe showcasing the flame-hued hero of the hour, the mandarin, Sour fans need look no further. Stronger and often sweeter than oranges, the mandarin plays perfectly with the smooth, fruity and vanilla notes of the Irish whiskey, balanced by the tang of the fresh lemon juice and foamy light texture of the egg whites. That said, while Irish whiskey makes a wonderful base, mandarins are more versatile than Meryl Streep. This recipe is just as delish with vodka, gin, American whiskey or even Scotch.
Watch: How to make a Mandarin Sour
Ingredients
¼ mandarin, skin on 45mL Irish whiskey 20mL lemon juice 20mL sugar syrup 1 egg white Glass: coupe Garnish: ½ mandarin and white sugar to caramelise, or fresh mandarin segment
Method
Optional: Prepare your garnish by covering mandarin half with sugar and caramelising it with a blowtorch (see video) before placing it in the fridge to set Muddle the quarter mandarin segment in the bottom of a cocktail shaker Add all ingredients to the shaker Dry shake (without ice – see tips) to emulsify all ingredients Add ice and shake until the outside of the tin is frosty Carefully fine strain into the glass, and finish with the caramelised mandarin sugar wheel, carefully lifting the set sugar off the fruit. Alternatively, finish with a fresh mandarin segment
Dan’s top tips
We do mean it when we say to leave the peel on the mandy when you muddle – that's where the bulk of the flavour is. You need only peel one open to catch the delicious scent left lingering in the air by the mandarin oils. Don't have a muddler? Use a rolling pin or any other utensil with a smooth, flat end. The secret to any cocktail with egg whites is the dry shake. Simple enough, this means shaking your cocktail without ice first to ensure you are properly emulsifying and aerating the mix for that lovely, frothy texture. But if eggs aren’t your thing, 20–30ml of aquafaba (the gelatinous liquid found in the can of your chickpeas) is a great substitute. Just stick to organic to ensure your cocktail tastes more like mandy than chickpeas. It’s also good to note that mandarins can be pretty sweet, so feel free to nix the syrup if you prefer a touch more tang and a little less sugar. And as it says in the method above, if the caramelised sugar garnish is a bit too hard-basket, go with a fresh mandarin segment as it will also do the job nicely.
image credits: Shelley Horan (photography), Raye Scerri (videography), Bridget Wald (styling), LSS (production).
