ganesh gin fizz

1 1/2 oz Gin (preferably Old Raj)
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Ginger Syrup
1/2 oz Pineapple Syrup
1/2 tsp Tamarind Concentrate
1 oz Cream
1 Egg White
7 drop Keora Water

Dry shake citrus, cream, and egg white. Add rest of ingredients and ice, and shake for several minute. To Collins glass, add 1 1/2 oz soda water. Strain shaker contents over soda water in glass. Add 1 1/2 oz of soda water to shaker's ice, swirl, and strain into glass. Add straw. Garnish with 7 additional drops of Keora water on egg white froth.

On Saturday, I decided to create a recipe for Tales of the Cocktail's Ramos Gin Fizz contest. The rules were to create a variation that included gin, egg white, cream, citrus, and a hydrosol but restricted several things including bitters. My inspiration for the contest came while shopping at the big Indian supermarket on Moody Street in Waltham. After grabbing a container of tamarind concentrate, Andrea found a bottle of keora water that would be perfect for the hydrosol and the plan came together. Keora water is from the Pandanus flower and is used in Indian cooking to impart an unique floral, grassy, and slightly spicy aroma to desserts like Ghulab Jamun and rice dishes like Biryani. The rest of the drink fell into place as I filled in the gaps with other flavors and spices found in Indian cooking such as the saffron found in Old Raj Gin.

For a description of my entry, I wrote, "I love Indian cooking and many of the early drink and punch recipes were influenced by the trade with India. By incorporating traditional Indian fruits and spices in the various juices, concentrates, hydrosol, gin, and syrups, I hoped to capture the flavors of the food while still maintaining a rich smoothness that Ramos Gin Fizzes are known for. Since Ramos Gin Fizzes are traditionally morning after drinks, I named the Fizz after Ganesh, the remover of obstacles. In this case, the obstacle is the hangover preventing you from enjoying your morning."
The Ganesh Gin Fizz greeted the nose with a jasmine-, lavender-, and rose-like aroma from the keora water. The sip was tangy from the lime and tamarind and these flavors complemented the pineapple syrup. Meanwhile, the swallow contained the botanicals from the gin and the spice of the ginger syrup along with the smooth richness of the cream. All this drink really needed was a brunch buffet replete with pakoras and navratan korma, and all could be righted after a night of drinking.