Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Cocktails inspired by China


jsmeeker

Recommended Posts

Not sure why I didn't think of this a little bit earlier..

The 2008 Olympics are starting. Opening ceremony in Beijing is on TV right now here in the USA. If you had to make a cocktail that celebrated the Olympics in China, what would you make?

I personally don't have any idea on where to start, so I hope our resident experts can come up with some ideas so we can toast the games throughout their duration.

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good question...I'm not sure they have much of a cocktail culture there, it seems to be mostly hard liquor. Expensive whiskey or brandy, but especially really high proof liquor. There's one that my cousin fondly calls "white man killer."

Maybe something with tea and/or tropical fruits would be appropriate? Or ginger? I know, very cliche.

Edited by Nishla (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice one Jeff, I'm reading your opener while watching the opening ceremonies on CBC.

The Auzzies have gone by and I've got back with a drink in time to see China's entrance. I'm enjoying a "Big Beige Cow", it's a skinny brown cow light on the Bailey's.

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think a little Domaine de Canton topped with champagne would be appropriate.

I don't really know much about the drinking habits on the Mainland, but I do have a bit of experience with drinking in Hong Kong, where they're particularly fond of French reds, expensive cognac, and Johnnie Walker Blue, of which I drank waaaaaay too much at Stephen Chow's 40th birthday party. And yes, being Hong Kong, karaoke was involved.

I don't know if this is still the trend, but when I was there it was all the rage to mix scotch with bottled oolong tea.

"Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other." - W. Somerset Maugham

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know if this is still the trend, but when I was there it was all the rage to mix scotch with bottled oolong tea.

Now that's a toddy I can excited about!

Peter Gamble aka "Peter the eater"

I just made a cornish game hen with chestnut stuffing. . .

Would you believe a pigeon stuffed with spam? . . .

Would you believe a rat filled with cough drops?

Moe Sizlack

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Lichitini sounds like something delightful to quaff while the Olympics are on television this week:

1 1/2 oz vodka

1 1/2 oz Lichido Liqueur

dash of lime juice

1 pitted lychee

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker.

Add ice.

Shake well.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Drop a lychee in the glass for a garnish.

Guess that the Singpore Sling is fairly old fashioned nowadays ...

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A little something I made up a while ago. The Pearl Plum vodka is realy delicious and instantly made me think of Asian inspired things.

Plum Blossom:

2.0 oz. Pearl Plum vodka

.5 oz fresh lemon juice

.5 oz. pineapple juice

.25 oz. St. Germain liqueur

1 tsp. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur

splash cranberry juice

dash Fee Brothers Lemon or Grapefruit bitters

Lemon Twist

Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Edited by KatieLoeb (log)

Katie M. Loeb
Booze Muse, Spiritual Advisor

Author: Shake, Stir, Pour:Fresh Homegrown Cocktails

Cheers!
Bartendrix,Intoxicologist, Beverage Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Captain Liberty of the Good Varietals, Aphrodite of Alcohol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The China Blue is a genuine Chinese themed cocktail from Asia. Though I have a feeling the drink may have been invented in Japan. It's a staple of Japanese bars in China and Taiwan.

http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/04/14/china-blue/

Or you could try my own invention. . . Though it's Taiwanese themed (to be precise) and involves infusing Genever with Oolong tea - i.e. you may well find it a big pain in the arse to make. I swear it's good though.

http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/02/29/oolong-tea-infused-gin/

Or my other very Chinese tea infusion idea. . . pisco with chrysanthenum and puer tea.

http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/03/27/chrysanthe...-infused-pisco/

Or go very retro with the Shanghai Cocktail. It's sort of a slightly sweet, anise spiked rum punch. Not bad if you have anisette handy.

http://bunnyhugs.org/2007/03/11/shanghai/

Or if you are in the US you could celebrate Chinese and U.S. friendship with the Flying Tiger Cocktail, named after the US volunteer unit based in South-West China during the Sino-Japanese war.

http://bunnyhugs.org/2008/03/19/the-flying-tiger/

Ha ha. . .I've excelled myself on this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

maybe I can make Ming Tsai's "Blue Ginger Gimlet". Dunno why I didn't think about it before. I guess it sort of counts since Ming is Chinese.

vodka

lime juice

ginger simple syrup

Of course, you could make it with gin, too. Maybe I'll pick up some ginger and limes at the grocery store.

But thanks for all the other suggestions. They are great. This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sure there are plenty of members of the TV generation on here, so I'll suggest (ahem) a Grasshopper.

Steve Morgan

[T]he cocktail was originally intended as a brief drink, a quick aperitif to stimulate appetite and stiffen the flagging gustatory senses, but it has passed into accustomed usage as a drink to be absorbed in considerable quantity despite the admonitions of the judicious. -- Lucius Beebe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...