Gabriella
Recipe:
- 1 large strawberry, halved
- 6cl pisco
- 2,25cl lemon juice
- 2,25cl simple syrup
- pinch of kosher salt
Muddle one half of the strawberry, combine it with the lemon juice in a cocktail shaker. Add the simple syrup, pisco and one large ice cube and shake vigorously until the drink is sufficiently chilled. Strain into a rocks glass and add crushed ice until a "high and dry" mountain is formed. Garnish with the remaining strawberry half and the pinch of salt.
Another really nice summer drink from the "Regarding Cocktails" book. He got a really nice balance and doesn’t overdo it on the fruit part. I am always upset with various recipes in which you muddle >4 strawberries or other masses of fruit are thrown in. These are for me no more cocktails, but smoothies with a shot.
One of the very large ones or one and a half medium sized (one to muddle, one for decoration then) strawberries are really enough and it gives a really great flavor, especially if you use high-quality and ripe fruits. Again, my small advice, just let it steep for 3-5 minutes in the lemon juice first
In combination with the rather bright, slightly exotic notes of the pisco (a Vinas de Oro 100% Mosto Verde was used) it even gives the illusion of having watermelon in the drink, very appealing. The pinch of salt, even if only given on the ice, also adds a nice culinary touch while tasting.
By the way, I prefer to use cracked ice rather than crushed ice, I think it looks nicer and also stands up better in the glass. With it, of course, you can not form the well-known dry mountain as easily because of the irregularities in the form of the ice, but in turn you can drink better without a straw.
Fun fact, it’s named after the first Miss Universe from Peru in reference to the pisco (national drink of Peru). Originally invented when he was still working in a bar with an oyster menu, fits perfectly, an ideal drink for fish in spring / summer. The deco strawberry I left out on purpose, somehow I always have a reflex against it, since so many bad drinks like to use strawberries as decoration. As a summer sipper, and since the strawberry hasn’t such a big aroma to influence the drink anyway, I prefer to let it simply speak to you through the nice drink color.
Source: “Regarding Cocktails” - Sasha Petraske & Georgette Moger-Petraske, p. 103
