Celebrate Summer with a Blue Butterfly Cocktail

“Jasmine is just the most delicate and beautiful scent.”- Natalie Portman

Summer is in full bloom and it’s time to bring out a flower power cocktail. Flowers are a fancy way to up the game in a simple cocktail. While floral notes are usually a subtle hint in most culinary dishes, they actually come out and play in full form in a cocktail. Flowers not only brighten up a drink but transform it from boring to an extraordinary masterpiece by adding depth and complexity to the cocktail. Whether they are used as a garnish or as an essential component of the drink itself, they add a unique, floral, delicate, and sweet flavour and aroma to the drink.

Jasmine is one of the oldest cultivated fragrant flower that is revered for its richly intense scent and for its ornamental landscape look. The beautiful heady sweet fragrance is commonly used in perfumes, cosmetics, incense, candles, tea making, as well as in essential oils. The flower is also used to flavour beverages, desserts, gelatines, puddings, etc. Many believe that the Jasmine Flower has aphrodisiac qualities. Jasmine is one of the five sacred plants mentioned in the ancient Indian sacred scriptures called the Vedas. It would be remiss of us not to mention Jasmine Tea. The aromatic tea that used fresh Jasmine flowers to infuse the scent into the tea leaves originated over 1000 years ago in China. It became popular in the Ming Dynasty and has remained a favourite amongst many to date.

Jasmine belongs to the Jasminum genus of fragrant flowering shrubs and vines that contains about 200 species that bloom and thrive in a warm and tropical climate. While most Jasmine flowers are white, there are, however, some yellow species as well.

The Jasmine flower has been used for its healing and uplifting properties since time immemorial. It is used in Ayurvedic medicines to cure rashes, sunburn, itching, skin diseases, eye diseases, ulcers, headaches, aid digestion, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhoea. The Jasmine essential oil is used as a natural remedy to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress in various parts of the world.

There are some plants that use the name Jasmine; however, they are not considered as True Jasmine. A popular example is the Star Jasmine flower. While there are many varieties of True Jasmines that are popular, like the Winter Jasmine, Italian Jasmine, Dwarf Jasmine, Pink Jasmine, Wild Jasmine, and Primrose Jasmine, etc., we are interested in only the following varieties:

• Common Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) also known as Summer Jasmine, White Jasmine, Poet’s Jasmine. This variety features five-petaled white flowers that are known for their intense and appealing scent. They are cultivated mainly for use in essential oils and aromatherapy.
• Arabian Jasmine (Jasminum sambac) also known as Mogra in India, is the national flower of the Philippines and Indonesia. They are pure white, star-shaped, multi-layered flowers that are cultivated to make Jasmine Tea, as a flavoring agent for the food industry, and are used for leis making in Hawaii. This variety is also used for cosmetics, hair oil, and massage therapies to relieve arthritis pain. In India, the Mogra Flower has deep religious connotations. It is considered as the favourite flower of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi and is used in garlands, religious ceremonies, and worn as hair adornments.
• Royal Jasmine (Jasminum Grandiflorum) is also known as Spanish Jasmine or Catalonian Jasmine. It is cultivated for perfume making, soaps, and cosmetics. In India, this variety is known as Chameli.

The delicate flavour of Elderflower pairs beautifully with fragrant Jasmine to create an aromatic cocktail.

Blue Butterfly Cocktail

A fragrant twist to a Gin Sour. This cocktail is a floral bouquet in a glass.

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ oz / 45 ml Gin
• ¼ oz / 10 ml Lillet Blanc
• ½ oz / 15 ml Elderflower Liqueur
• ½ oz / 15 ml Homemade Jasmine Flower Syrup
• 1 oz / 30 ml Lemon Juice
• 1 Egg White
• A dash of Blue Curacao
• Garnish: Bitters and Fresh Flowers

DIRECTIONS

• Add all ingredients into the shaker tin and dry shake.
• Then fill the shaker with ice and hard shake.
• Strain into a Glass and Garnish with a few drops of Bitters and Fresh Flowers.
• Drink, Smile, and Repeat.
  

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Tasting Notes: A delicately floral drink. The Jasmine Syrup and the Elderflower Liqueur bring the floral notes to the cocktail. The Lillet Blanc adds to the floral aroma. It also brings candied orange, exotic fruits, and honey notes to the drink. Gin gives the much-needed herbal backbone to this cocktail. Egg white plays beautifully with the delicate floral notes and gives the drink a light and silky texture.

Food Pairing:

• Small Plates: Vada Pav with Mint Chutney; Samosa; Cucumber and Mint Tea Sandwiches; Honey-Garlic Cauliflower; Baba Ghanoush with Pita Chips and Crudités; Ham and Cheese Croissant; Dim Sums; Tandoori Prawns; Spicy Salmon Sushi Rolls; Bacon-wrapped Shrimps; Chicken Satay.
• Greens / Soups: Tom Yum Goong; Ginger Sesame Soba Noodle Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms, Snow Peas, and Tofu; Mediterranean Grilled Halloumi and Chicken Salad; Green Mago Salad with Fried Tofu.
• Big Plates: Thai Basil Chicken served with Steamed Rice; Kung Pao Chicken served with Fried Rice; Thai Red Curry with Steamed Rice; Pork Loin served with Creamy Potato Au Gratin and Green Beans; Pork Liver Stir Fry served with Noodles or Steamed Rice; Pesto Smoked Salmon Pasta; Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce served with Sautéed Asparagus and Mashed Potatoes; Mangalorean Fish Tawa Fry served with Dal and Roti; Pan-Fried Spicy Tofu with Sesame Noodles; Alfredo Pasta; Vegetarian Gyros with Grilled Vegetables; Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll.
• Desserts: Vanilla Cheesecake; Panna Cotta; Lemon Tarts; Baklava; Peach Melba; Mango Macarons; Whoopie Pies; Chocolate Pot de Crème; Kulfi.