Mixing flavors into cocktails

[lperry]

Last night a jar of home-canned figs was finished off, and it was mentioned that the syrup from the jar might be used in an interesting cocktail. After a bit of discussion and admissions all around of complete cluelessness, a bottle of wine was opened and the syrup was put in the fridge for future inspiration.

When it comes to food flavors, I can do pretty well. Figs + goat cheese + balsamic vinegar = Yum. But with alcohol, I'm at a loss. I would guess that the sweetness of a fig should be balanced by the acidity of something like a lemon, but what spirit?

I've read through threads that talk about how to use different flavored syrups, and different ideas are offered for good drink combinations, however, there doesn't seem to be a thread (or a chart lurking out there on the internet?) that explains which basic flavors balance one another well: e.g., sweet with this one, mint with this one, ginger with these, etc. (I apologize if I couldn't find it).

Are there some general "rules" about mixing fruit and herbal flavors with different spirits? Are there "classic" combinations? Please help someone who really wants to learn to mix interesting cocktails.

Thanks-

Linda

[The Cocktail Guru]

Last night a jar of home-canned figs was finished off, and it was mentioned that the syrup from the jar might be used in an interesting cocktail.  After a bit of discussion and admissions all around of complete cluelessness, a bottle of wine was opened and the syrup was put in the fridge for future inspiration. 

When it comes to food flavors, I can do pretty well.  Figs + goat cheese + balsamic vinegar = Yum.  But with alcohol, I'm at a loss.  I would guess that the sweetness of a fig should be balanced by the acidity of something like a lemon, but what spirit?   

I've read through threads that talk about how to use different flavored syrups, and different ideas are offered for good drink combinations, however, there doesn't seem to be a thread (or a chart lurking out there on the internet?) that explains which basic flavors balance one another well: e.g., sweet with this one, mint with this one, ginger with these, etc.  (I apologize if I couldn't find it). 

Are there some general "rules" about mixing fruit and herbal flavors with different spirits?  Are there "classic" combinations?  Please help someone who really wants to learn to mix interesting cocktails.

Thanks-

Linda

←

Some basic guidelines are that you always want your cocktail to be balanced. you begin with a base spirits, i.e. vodka, rum, gin... and then usually add a sweetener, (could be triple sec, or another sweet liqueur or syrup, and then sometimes some sort of sour element, i.e. lime juice, lemon juice - so you were right in your initial thinking... In your case, the fig syrup is sweetened in some way, making it a sweetener in a cocktail. I would say begin with vodka as a base spirit, (it's the most colorless and tasteless - most of the time, if you ask me), and just experiment by mixing just a little bit of vodka with the same amount of fig syrup. If I were in your situation, I would come up with a cocktail that had around 2 parts vodka, 1 part fig syrup, and perhaps a splash of lemon juice. Shake it and strain it into a martini glass, and garnish it with a candied fig in the glass, or a fig leaf. You could try mixing with rum too - that would probably taste nice - I would go with a dark, spiced rum. Also, bitters is a good product to use in cocktails - it usually marries different flavors very nicely. You can get Angostura bitters at any supermarket - and just try adding a few drops to the cocktail. You could try it with a splash of milk, too. Basically, there are no rules in cocktail-making - it's about experimentation and what tastes the best for you! Let me know how it goes!

[lperry]

I do like to experiment unless it results in something undrinkable . That was my fear with the fig.

I really was hoping for flavor combination guidelines rather than basic drink-mixing guidelines. Does such a thing exist?

[KatieLoeb]

I really was hoping for flavor combination guidelines rather than basic drink-mixing guidelines.  Does such a thing exist?

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No - because everyone's taste is different. Some folks like bitter, some like sweet. I personally think Cynar, Fernet Branca, even tonic water are just gag inducing. Some folks love that. The only "flavor priciples" that apply are the same as you'd use for combining flavors in other foods like baked goods. Lemon-Fig biscotti are delicious, hence I might try a drink incorporating those flavors as suggested by The Cocktail Guru. In fact I'd use just the recipe suggested with only the addition of a wee splash of Limoncello to make the lemon flavor come through more and perhaps a splash of bitters to dial back the sweetness a bit.

Let us know how that works out. Sounds pretty tasty to me!

[lperry]

So in other words, someone might suggest I mix the fig syrup with vodka or rum, and somebody else might suggest gin or tequila? Or would everyone choose vodka or rum?

As someone who has never mixed anything more complicated than a gin martini and a mojito, I'm genuinely clueless. I have some ideas from reading the forums that acidic citrus flavors mesh well with tequila, and tropical fruits and citrus go well with rum. Vodka seems the go-to when you don't want the alcohol to overwhelm the flavor of the syrup (am I correct?) Maybe there is an explanation somewhere of the basic flavor bases of different spirits? That would be very helpful.

[lperry]

OK, here's the recipe that worked best:

4 parts vodka

2 parts fig syrup

1/2 part Meyer lemon juice

Shaken with ice and strained out.

Results: good balance between sweet and sour with a fig nose that I just love. I was afraid regular lemon would overwhelm the delicate fig - the Meyer is really nice. It even has a pretty pink/peach color (sorry, no digi camera). If I paid for this at a bar I would be happy.

I spent some more time on the web looking for spirit tasting notes. I'm told that this mixing stuff isn't as hard as I'm making it, and I should just drink more. In retaliation for the mocking of my obsessive-compulsive nature, I'm going to name this drink something obnoxious like a Vodka Figlet .

Thanks for the advice, and I'm open to more suggestions!

[KatieLoeb]

I'm told that this mixing stuff isn't as hard as I'm making it, and I should just drink more.

Great advice. My job is just alibi for my hobby, so I can keep from being accused of merely being a lush!

In retaliation for the mocking of my obsessive-compulsive nature, I'm going to name this drink something obnoxious like a Vodka Figlet.

I like that name! Sounds delicious.

Please keep reporting back as your experiments continue. A fresh set of eyes and tastebuds are always a good thing.

[The Cocktail Guru]

Glad all turned out well. The drink does sound good!

[plattetude]

My first thought when I read "fig syrup" was to pair it with rye (or bourbon in a pinch). My second thought was applejack. My third thought was cognac. My fourth thought was rum. My fifth thought was gin. My sixth thought was tequila. I didn't really consider vodka since, well, vodka doesn't bring much to the table. That can be a good thing, of course, but I'd rather have a more complex cocktail than a less complex one, personally.

Distilling the above (no pun intended), I'd lean more to brown spirits for my base to work with the fig, assuming the syrup is full-flavored enough to stand up to them. Could be my own bias, but that's just where my head went when I heard "fig". And the spiciness of a good rye seems a good foil for fig.

Anyway, lemon juice as the acid seems to be a good way to go. (And Katie's limoncello idea brings a whole new dimension to it!) Another route, to give a different tartness profile, might be some pomegranate juice reduced to a syrup, and brightened with a tiny splash of lemon juice. Either way, I'd toss in some Peychaud's to round it out. Lacking Peychaud's, I'd use Angostura.

[edited for numbering gaffe]

My cents.

Christopher

Edited March 20, 2006 by plattetude (log)

[slkinsey]

Yea, I'm with Christopher in not being too excited about vodka. On the other hand, it can be useful for times when you really want to taste the essence of the flavoring (fig syrup, in this case) precisely because it doesn't bring anything to the table but dilution of flavor and alcoholic bite. This might be an issue worth considering with respect to Linda's fig syrup, because the fig flavor might not be all that strong. It's very possible that it would be entirely obscured were it mixed with something like Rittenhouse bonded rye or even a soft gin. It's sometimes a difficult reality that the drink is too sweet by the time you've added enough of your sweet modifier that it can be discerned in the mix. Most good modifiers for cocktails are quite strongly flavored, and it is partly this property that makes them useful modifiers. It doesn't take very much oregat syrup or Apry, for example, to make its presence felt alongside a flavorful base spirit. I have some Calabrian fig syrup that might work well in a cocktail, but it is thick, black and almost molasses-like, with a flavor that's much more concentrated than what I imagine Linda's to be (her's sounds more like what I might call "fig-infused simple syrup").

There's a reason I have been using the word "modifier" above. The idea of using, for example, a touch ot Calabrian fig syrup together with rye whiskey in making a cocktail that tastes of "rye with a little fig flavor" is one thing (actually, that might make an interesting Old Fashioned variation). The fig syrup in this case is modifying and enhancing the flavor of the rye, and the cocktail isn't really all about the fig syrup. Really, I'm not so sure I'd be all that excited about a cocktail that's designed to feature fig syrup as the main flavor. It's like making a chicken dish that's all about the parsley.

[lperry]

I have some Calabrian fig syrup that might work well in a cocktail, but it is thick, black and almost molasses-like, with a flavor that's much more concentrated than what I imagine Linda's to be (her's sounds more like what I might call "fig-infused simple syrup").

It is. The source is several jars of brown turkey figs (courtesy of my Grandmother from Florida) that were canned in sugar syrup, and the fig flavor and aroma are fairly delicate. It just seemed a shame to throw out the syrup, and as a wine drinker, I had no idea where even to start with a cocktail. That's why I was hoping for some general guidelines for flavor combinations

Really, I'm not so sure I'd be all that excited about a cocktail that's designed to feature fig syrup as the main flavor.  It's like making a chicken dish that's all about the parsley.

That depends on how much you like figs . Right now in this unseasonably cold weather (with a nasty snowstorm on the way), this simple drink smelled and tasted like warm Florida summer to me.

[slkinsey]

Were I in your shoes, I'd be using the fig-infused simple syrup on ice cream.

[Alchemist]

Ok this may be going way overboard, but half of the eguletters have a whisper(at least) of OCD. If you reallly like the fig flavor. You could go get some dried figs, crush them and then boil them in said liquid, until it coates the back of a spoon, and then use it by the drops. It will also last for a long time in this concentrated form. I love me some figs, so having, fig syrup in the firige, sounds nice.

[slkinsey]

I'm telling you, for fig flavor this stuff is the shizznit.

[lperry]

I love me some figs, so having, fig syrup in the firige, sounds nice.

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It's very nice. Even nicer is that it is standing beside cherry, ginger, and lemon verbena.

I'm telling you, for fig flavor this stuff is the shizznit.

In the spirit of embracing my OCD, I'm going to try to make this molasses this summer. There is always an overabundance of figs, and I'm thinking this is a worthy cause.

[lperry]

It occurred to me while I was thinking about this thread, that it would be very useful if the eGCI did a course on cocktail mixing. And then when I actually looked at the list, it turns out that there are three. Whoops.

I'm putting links here just in case someone else is trying to learn about mixing.

Classic Cocktails

Evolving Cocktails 1

Evolving Cocktails 2

[eje]

Linda,

In my opinion, the best book about rolling your own cocktails is David Embury's The "Fine Art of Mixing Drinks". Sadly, it's out of print and copies often fetch ridiculous prices on eBay. I think Gary Regan's "Joy of Mixology" would come in a close second, at least in breaking down drink families and giving you suggestions.

There's a thread about cocktail books with lots of suggestions.

RE: Figgy-ness

I recently traveled to Boston for work, and there they had a pretty nice fig infused bourbon there called Diabolique. Not really sweet at all, just figgy tasting. Makes a very tasty old fashioned. Might try replicating it at home.

Don't try muddling fresh figs in cocktails. I can tell you from experience, it just makes a big seedy pudding-like mess.

Edited March 26, 2006 by eje (log)