The Clarified Lychee Martini is a simple recipe but a great cocktail for demonstrating the transformational abilities of the centrifuge. With this drink the difference really is night and day. Most lychee martinis are milky white affairs with plenty of flotsam/jetsam and not a lot going for them in the flavour department. Either taste the fruit isn’t pronounced enough or the gin is diluted down to the point of sadness…and who needs that?
Centrifuging the blended lychee fruit, which has been pretreated with a little enzyme to break down the pectin, strips away the pulp leaving a crystal clear and beautifully delicate pinky-peach coloured juice. It’s intoxicatingly fragrant with a notably more intense flavour than before it went in because the pulp is essentially masking the true nature of the lychee! The primary benefit of this invigorated and stronger tasting nectar is that it can now bring it’s magic to the party while still leaving your martini satisfyingly potent!
Use liquid nitrogen to chill the glass heavily and it will stay ice cold right down to the last drop, just the way a martini should be.
My favourite combination for this cocktail is Plymouth Gin and Dolin Dry Vermouth but of course, you can use whatever you have to hand…
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