Molecular bartending is like a science experiment in a glass! It’s all about using cool tricks from chemistry to make drinks more fun, interesting, and tasty. Using special techniques (or magic tricks), bartenders can change how a drink looks, feels, and tastes, turning ordinary drinks into extraordinary experiences! Fortunately, you don’t need fancy tools or a magic wand to start experimenting. Here are some tips on how to get started.
Foams and Froths
The easiest way to start. Whilst nitrous oxide canisters can be used, you can start with something as simple as a shaker!
Add egg whites or the vegan alternative, aquafaba, to a shaker with a spirit, citrus, or syrup and shake vigorously without ice. Add ice and shake again before using a fine strainer when pouring to ensure a smooth texture.
Smoky, Spicy and Fatty Infusions
Infusion is at the heart of molecular bartending.
For herby or spicy cocktail, muddle your chosen ingredient in a shaker to release its essential oils before adding your cocktail ingredients and shaking. Use a strainer to remove the muddled herbs and spices.
For a smoky drink, you don’t need a smoke gun! Try lighting a match or burnable ingredient and place it under a glass to capture the smoke, pour your cocktail into the smoke-filled glass to capture the aroma.
To add a savoury depth to cocktails, infuse spirits with fats and oils. This technique, known as fat washing, is surprisingly simple. You can use bacon fat with whiskey or coconut oil with rum. Add the fat to the spirit at room temperature and let it infuse for a few hours. Place it in the freezer until the fat solidifies. Once solid, strain the spirit through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove residual fat.
Spherification
This involves turning liquids into jelly-like spheres. Mix your cocktail with sodium alginate. In another container, dissolve calcium lactate in water. Use a spoon or dropper to form droplets of the alginate mixture into the lactate bath. This will form small spheres. After a minute, remove the spheres and rinse them in water. Serve them immediately in a drink or as a garnish.
Layered Cocktails and Ice
Layered cocktails are all about physics. Using the back of a spoon pour one ingredient over the other in order of density. The densest layer should go at the bottom, this is typically a syrup.
You can use the idea of layers in ice cubes by simply adding and freezing layers on top of each other. Placing edible flowers or fruits into ice cubes or spheres, can elevate your drinks even further.
