byrdi's 'mount zero' cocktail
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Drinks
Author:
Luke Whearty, Byrdi Melbourne
Servings
2 cocktails
Inspired by the tomato/pine/grassy profile of Mount Zero's Early Harvest Picual EVOO, vodka is fat washed with olive oil and combined with a pickled strawberry Oloroso sherry, grapefruit and distilled bitter orange leaf.
There's quite a few steps involved in this drink, so it's by no means an entry-level cocktail recipe, but your patience is rewarded when you get to taste the final result!
Ingredients
To make two cocktails
-
60ml Early Harvest Picual olive oil vodka
-
20ml tomato & strawberry Oloroso
-
10ml petitgrain & vanilla syrup
-
60ml dry sparkling wine
-
20ml grapefruit soda (something not too sweet, like Capi)
Early Harvest Picual Olive Oil Vodka
-
250ml good quality vodka
-
50ml Early Harvest Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tomato & Strawberry Oloroso
-
175ml lacto-fermented tomato juice (see notes)
-
175ml strawberry vinegar (see notes)
Petitgrain & Vanilla syrup
-
1 cup water
-
2 cups caster sugar
-
1 tbsp vanilla extract
-
1 drop of petitgrain essence
Directions
Early Harvest Picual Olive Oil Vodka
Add the oil and vodka to the jar or container. Seal the jar or container and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Place the jar or container in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until the oil has solidified.
Remove the jar or container from the freezer and skim off the solidified oil.
Strain the liquor through the cheesecloth or coffee filter into a clean container.
Tomato & Strawberry Oloroso
Combine all ingredients (see notes on how to make the lacto-fermented tomato juice and strawberry vinegar).
Petitgrain & Vanilla Syrup
Heat water in a saucepan until just simmering, and then add sugar and keep stirring until fully dissolved (do not boil). Take off the heat and add vanilla essense and petitgrain essence and allow to cool.
To Serve
Combine all ingredients in a chilled coupette and garnish with a large ice block and a few drops of Early Harvest Picual EVOO.
Recipe Note
Lacto-Fermented Tomato Juice
Luke, Aki and the team at Byrdi make this in house with shio koji, but you can also make it as a traditional lacto pickle. If you haven't done much fermentation, here is a great recipe – just blitz the tomatoes in a food processor and strain through a muslin cloth afterwards to get the finished fermented tomato juice for this recipe.
Strawberry Vinegar
Luke, Aki and the team at Byrdi also make their own strawberry vinegar in-house, which is much simpler than it sounds. Mix equal parts unpasteurised apple cider vinegar and freshly pressed apple juice together and enough fresh strawberries to stay submerged in the liquid. Leave them in the solution for 1-2 weeks, after which the strawberries will begin to break down and infuse the vinegar. The acetic bacteria will also eat the sugar in the apple juice and create a nice balance of sweet and sour. Strain through a muslin cloth before using.