Cocktail Sorbets

[Shalmanese]

Inspired by the Jello Shots thread, it seems to me that many classic cocktails would work well in sorbet form. A Mojito as a lime-mint-rum sorbet, a pina colada, a margarita etc. However, sorbets are finicky things when sugar and alcohol come together so I was hoping that people had recipes that had the right consistancy.

Is it possible? Is it tasty?

[kalypso]

I've had good luck with a Bloody Maria (think Bloody Mary except made with tequila instead of vodka) granita. It's ridiculously easy and quick to put together and pretty hard to mess up. It won't freeze entirely because of the alcohol, of course, but it definitely gets hard enough to scrape and develop nice granita crystals. I usually serve this as the base for a shrimp cocktail with a Latin flavor profile.

[marty mccabe]

There are a number of recipes for "cocktail" sorbets out there. I've found several on www.epicurious.com, for instance. You just have to make sure that your ice cream maker bowl is really, really cold and then finish it in the freezer, with occasional stirring.

I make a margarita sorbet that freezes perfectly...

[eje]

This recipe works well for me and I have gotten positive feedback from several other folks who have tried it.

Mojito Sorbet

I'm sure it could be massaged to work for other citrus based cocktails.

-Erik

[Shalmanese]

There are a number of recipes for "cocktail" sorbets out there.  I've found several on www.epicurious.com, for instance.  You just have to make sure that your ice cream maker bowl is really, really cold and then finish it in the freezer, with occasional stirring.

I make a margarita sorbet that freezes perfectly...

←

I tried looking on the internet until I found this. Then I just curled up in the corner wishing for the bad, bad man to go away.

[eje]

Huh, that Emeril recipe sounds truly awful.

Here's a couple that seem like they would at least be noble experiments. I based the proportions on my Mojito Sorbet.

"Old-Fashioned" Sorbet

1 c Sugar

2 c Water

1/4 c Orange Juice

1/8 c Bourbon

Zest of 1 orange

? tsp. Bitters

(Not sure about the balance of this one. Might end up being too orangey to qualify as an old-fashioned.)

Lemony Mint Julep Sorbet

1 c Sugar

2 c Water

5 Sprigs of Mint

1/4 c Lemon Juice

1/8 c Bourbon

Zest of 2 Lemons

2 T Mint Chiffonade

edit - Had vermouth in my old fashioned and no bitters. Sheesh, what was I thinking?

Edited January 30, 2006 by eje (log)

[eje]

Sorry to post twice in a row.

My wife and I were out at a French Restaurant and their signature dessert is something they call, "Clémentine Colonel". It is a tangerine sorbet topped with a shot of chilled vodka. We were feeling pretty good by this point in the dinner and the "Clémentine Colonel" put us over the edge into giddy. Much speculation was made about "promoting" other desserts to Colonel. "Why not?" we said, "If sorbet can be improved with booze, why not chocolate cake? Perhaps, 'Colonel Gateau de Chocolate' preferably flaming!"

Uh, maybe you had to be there.

I know I've seen Grapefruit and Campari sorbet, would it hurt to add some Gin?

Or maybe, Grapefruit, Punt e Mes, and Gin?

[alanamoana]

i've made a mandarin "cosmo" sorbet for a restaurant i worked for. it was great, but due to my liberal hand with the alcohol, it never froze perfectly well...never bothered to adjust the recipe as when it got too slushy, we'd just drink it after service!

great way to finish of a long shift...

[eje]

I guess this will be more of a bourbon punch sorbet than an old fashioned sorbet. So far it tastes awesome, and I'm having a really hard time not pouring it over ice and just drinking it straight.

To me Moro blood oranges are the best with their dark red flesh and meaty, berry-like flavor.

Moro Decay Sorbet

1 c Sugar

1 c Water

1 c Moro Blood Orange Juice

1/4 c Bourbon

Zest of 4 Moro Blood Oranges

1 tsp. Angostura Bitters

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool.

Zest oranges into bourbon and stir to combine. Add blood orange juice, bitters and cooled syrup. Chill.

Strain mixture through cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

If you have an ice cream maker, process according to manufacturers instructions.

If you do not have an ice cream maker, chill an stainless steel or pyrex pan in your freezer. The sorbet mixture should not come up more than an inch along the side of the pan. Add mixture to pan, and stir with a fork every hour until well frozen. After it freezes, process in batches in a blender or food processor and store in a sealed container in the freezer.

edit - Thought of better name. Really looking forward to making a batch of Moro Decay Punch based on similar ingredients.

Edited January 31, 2006 by eje (log)

[KatieLoeb]

I guess this will be more of a bourbon punch sorbet than an old fashioned sorbet.  So far it tastes awesome, and I'm having a really hard time not pouring it over ice and just drinking it straight.

Bloody Bourbon Sorbet

1 c Sugar

1 c Water

1 c Blood Orange Juice

1/4 c Bourbon

Zest of 4 Blood Oranges

1 tsp. Angostura Bitters

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and water until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes.  Cool.

Zest oranges into bourbon and stir to combine.  Add blood orange juice, bitters and cooled syrup.  Chill.

Strain mixture through cheesecloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

If you have an ice cream maker, process according to manufacturers instructions.

If you do not have an ice cream maker, chill an stainless steel or pyrex pan in your freezer. The sorbet mixture should not come up more than an inch along the side of the pan. Add mixture to pan, and stir with a fork every hour until well frozen. After it freezes, process in batches in a blender or food processor and store in a sealed container in the freezer.

←

Oh. My. This sounds so lovely.

[sadistick]

Funny you mention this sorbet topic...

I have a batch of Strawberry-Mojito's in the freezer, just forked it through a second time...

Basic ingredients -

Mint

Cane syrup

Lime juice

Cointreau

Dark Rum (El dorado)

mashed strawberries

Let this all mingle for a while, strain, and freeze!

Add some Soda at the end when you put the sorbet in the glass.

[eje]

Froze this (or tried) last night.

I should have stuck with my original formulation, as it didn't quite freeze and doubling the zest put the aromatic element a little over the top.

Revised:

Moro Decay Sorbet

1 c Sugar

1 c Water

1 c Moro Blood Orange Juice

1/8 c Bourbon

Zest of 2 Moro Blood Oranges

1 tsp. Angostura Bitters

BTW, for sorbet, unless you are in a hurry, there is absolutely no reason you need an ice cream maker.

Making a fruit granita and then giving it a brief spin in a blender or food processor works really well. In fact, I think the texture of the end product is better than what you get from most home ice cream makers.

[Peter Green]

I've been bored these last couple of weeks.

And when that happens, I start planning dinners.

I'm set for this, but I've my heart set on doing a gin sorbet as a palate cleanser between the seafood and meat (it'll disguise my horrible cooking).

I remember reading once about how to get the impact of a martini into a sorbet delivery. Not a gin flavoured sorbet, but effectively a martini. I just can't find the recipe now.

Can someone help? I need to do this in four days, and knowing me, I'll need practice.

[iriee]

maybe try something in the juniper-vermouth flavored base?

[hathor]

The gin won't freeze....so I'd go at it by making a sorbetto that gets a bit of gin. Say lime sorbetto and gin. Would tonic water freeze? Probably. Certainly not a martini, but a frozen gin and tonic could be interesting

When you freeze the concoction, you need to keep breaking up the ice crystals so that they don't turn into chunks. So every 1/2 hour or so, whip the mixture with a stick blender until you get the desired consistency. And anything with an alcohol content takes longer to freeze. Much longer than you expect, so plan ahead.

I did lots of experiments with rum last year, very fun.

[eje]

The big problem will be that sorbets need a certain level of sugar to have the correct texture.

I dunno if, with the level of sweetness required, you would end up with something like a martini. Martinez, possibly?

Like hathor suggests, a Gin and tonic sorbet would be easier. Or a gimlet.

Also, since being cold decreases the flavor intensity of ingredients, you might think of punching up your sorbet base with some of the flavoring ingredients typically found in gin. You'll also want to use a aggressive gin, not something with a mild character like Zuidam or Sapphire.

Edited June 18, 2007 by eje (log)

[weinoo]

I recently had some minor success with an Aviation sorbet (maraschino and gin)...as hathor says above, too high an alcohol content and the mixture won't freeze properly...so it's a very subtle Aviation sorbet, to say the least. (I don't think you can use more than a total of 4 tablespoons of 80 proof liquor in 3 - 4 cups of liquid without really having a problem getting the thing to freeze.)

And obviously, the amount of sugar also affects the freezing property as well as the texture of the sorbet.

I have had much better success with my campari/grapefruit sorbets - the much more assertive Campari works wonders with grapefruit! The citrus sorbets allow the use of lots of sugar to get a real nice smooth end-product. My magic number is 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of puree or liquid, balanced by lemon juice if necessary - of course, with super -sweet fruits (e.g. mango, pineapple), that amount can be cut down.

Will you be using an ice-cream freezer or doing it by hand?

Judith, when you were playing around with rums last year, what did you use as the base of the sorbetto?

[Peter Green]

I recently had some minor success with an Aviation sorbet (maraschino and gin)...as hathor says above, too high an alcohol content and the mixture won't freeze properly...so it's a very subtle Aviation sorbet, to say the least.  (I don't think you can use more than a total of 4 tablespoons of 80 proof liquor in 3 - 4 cups of liquid without really having a problem getting the thing to freeze.)

And obviously, the amount of sugar also affects the freezing property as well as the texture of the sorbet.

I have had much better success with my campari/grapefruit sorbets - the much more assertive Campari works wonders with grapefruit!  The citrus sorbets allow the use of lots of sugar to get a real nice smooth end-product.  My magic number is 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of puree or liquid, balanced by lemon juice if necessary - of course, with super -sweet fruits (e.g. mango, pineapple), that amount can be cut down.

Will you be using an ice-cream freezer or doing it by hand?

Judith, when you were playing around with rums last year, what did you use as the base of the sorbetto?

←

First, thanks one and all. Please, keep them coming.

I have a few days to experiment. The Campari (of which I have access ) is a fun option, and I may go in that direction.

To provide more detail, I'm going to wash out my guest's palates from an odd conjunction.

We'll go from a Thai hor mok - a seafood mousse heavy on coconut cream, kaffir lime, and chilis - to pan roasted foie gras, pesto mash, and grilled tenderloin steaks finished in the foie fat in the pan.

So, basically, I want to slap them so silly with the sorbet that they can take the next course.

thanks!

Peter

[eje]

Probably too weird; but, what about a Martini-ish parfait?

Layer of juniper spice gelatine, thin layer of olive gelatine, and vermouth granita/ice on top. Maybe incorporate orange bitters in one of the layers?

From the home distiller website, here's a list of the most common botanicals in gin:

Juniper, Coriander, Angelica root, Cassia, Cinnamon, Liquorice, Bitter almonds, Grains of Paradise, Cubeb berries, Bitter orange peel, Sweet orange peel, Lemon peel, Ginger, Orris root, Cardamon, Nutmeg, Savory, Calamus (sweet flag), and Chamomile.

[Dave the Cook]

I know it's out there, and for sure it would take some practice, so maybe it's not appropriate for Peter's immediate needs -- but liquid nitrogen can freeze alcohol. There's a restaurant here -- Element -- that's employing it on a regular basis. For examples, look here (first and eighth photos).

Anyone interested in pursuing this?

[eje]

I know it's out there, and for sure it would take some practice, so maybe it's not appropriate for Peter's immediate needs -- but liquid nitrogen can freeze alcohol. There's a restaurant here -- Element -- that's employing it on a regular basis. For examples, look here (first and eighth photos).

Anyone interested in pursuing this?

←

It's true, you can seriously push the amount of alcohol in a sorbet by using liquid nitrogen. I think the problem will still be one of texture. No matter the method, for a proper sorbet or ice cream, the liquid still has to be at the right brix, or it will be too icy.

You could experiment with the sorts of things they use to prevent crystals from forming in low sugar commercial ice creams. Guar gum, locust bean gum, xanthan gum, carageenan, methylcellulose...

Flavor's going to be the other problem. Sorbet and ice cream bases have to be made with more intense flavors so they pop when cold. That's why I pump up the ones I make by steeping the citrus zest for a period in the base and then filtering it out before freezing.

If you just froze a dry martini, I don't think it would taste like much of anything.

Here's an example of a Aquavit Sorbet from the New Scandanavian Cooking Show:

Aquavit Sorbet

On the episode he made it using liquid nitrogen.

I've also seen it done table side at restaurants, which is pretty cool and theatrical.

[hathor]

I recently had some minor success with an Aviation sorbet (maraschino and gin)...as hathor says above, too high an alcohol content and the mixture won't freeze properly...so it's a very subtle Aviation sorbet, to say the least.  (I don't think you can use more than a total of 4 tablespoons of 80 proof liquor in 3 - 4 cups of liquid without really having a problem getting the thing to freeze.)

And obviously, the amount of sugar also affects the freezing property as well as the texture of the sorbet.

I have had much better success with my campari/grapefruit sorbets - the much more assertive Campari works wonders with grapefruit!  The citrus sorbets allow the use of lots of sugar to get a real nice smooth end-product.  My magic number is 1 cup of sugar to 2 cups of puree or liquid, balanced by lemon juice if necessary - of course, with super -sweet fruits (e.g. mango, pineapple), that amount can be cut down.

Will you be using an ice-cream freezer or doing it by hand?

Judith, when you were playing around with rums last year, what did you use as the base of the sorbetto?

←

Mitch, you're gonna have to trust me on this one because it sounds really strange, but I used a fennel syrup. The result was like a rummy butterscotch. I don't know why rum + fennel = butterscotch. But it was refreshing, not cloying and totally a unique flavor.

I've been on a mojito kick, and although limes are non-existent in Umbria, I think that I can come up with something with lemon and rum and mint.

And I totally second campari and grapefruit, or campari lemonade. If the stuff doesn't freeze in time, it taste great in a glass with a sprig of mint.

I also agree with your ratio of sugar to liquid, not counting the alcohol. But, for me one of the variables that I cannot get a handle on is how long the product should be frozen before serving. Some flavors dissipate, some concentrate, and I haven't had consistent results.

Anybody else playing with the freezing time?

[weinoo]

Mitch, you're gonna have to trust me on this one because it sounds really strange, but I used a fennel syrup. The result was like a rummy butterscotch. I don't know why rum + fennel = butterscotch.  But it was refreshing, not cloying and totally a unique flavor.

I've been on a mojito kick, and although limes are non-existent in Umbria, I think that I can come up with something with lemon and rum and mint.

And I totally second campari and grapefruit, or campari lemonade.  If the stuff doesn't freeze in time, it taste great in a glass with a sprig of mint.

I also agree with your ratio of sugar to liquid, not counting the alcohol. But, for me one of the variables that I cannot get a handle on is how long the product should be frozen before serving. Some flavors dissipate, some concentrate, and I haven't had consistent results.

Anybody else playing with the freezing time?

←

I'll have to trust, but verify !! But it certainly sounds delish.

One of the nice things about using lemons (or limes) is that they can take a good amount of sugar, which helps a lot texturally.

As far as freezing times go, I use a self-refrigerated ice-cream maker, so I can't compare with other methods - most of the sorbets I make are done in 25 minutes.

Can you get limes in any of the towns near you? I would imagine they're available in the bigger cities, so maybe on your next trip to one of those, it's time to stock up - lime juice will freeze really nicely.

[hathor]

Last summer, for one week, they had limes from Mexico. That's it. I live in the 'boonies, what can I say?

Maybe I'll look around at an ice cream maker. I've always done it by hand, which is fun, but time consuming.

[Peter Green]

It worked! It worked!

Okay, it was nothing like what I'd planned, but it worked!

It was supposed to be a gin martini sorbet, based upon a snippet I'd found posted by Jamie Boudreau who was the mixer at Lumiere's tasting bar in Vancouver. It looked wonderful, a soft texture (perhaps more of a sherbert than a sorbet?) and had little caviars of olive to authenticate the martini experience.

Easy, I figured. I'd phone up my friends in Kits and they could mosey on over and chat him up for the recipe.

Wrong! He's moved to south of the border to Seattle, to Vessel.

I was destitute.

But, at the last minute, as I was enjoying a gin and tonic while getting the stocks ready for dinner (okay, my definition of last minute may not be everyone's) I thought, "frozen G&T"?

I have an ice cream maker, or rather the pot of one. The paddle and crank never made it to my kitchen. I tossed in 8 shots (one per guest), finely grated lime zest, the juice from the lime, a quarter cup of sugar syrup, and half a can of tonic water.

Then it was just a matter of coming back every half hour and working it around a bit.

(I forgot to shoot the individual glass with a twist of lime on the side.....we were kinda far gone at this point)

This was a great way to wake up the taste buds for dessert. And it would work well on a hot Bangkok evening, come to think of it..........