Hibiscus Tiki Sour
A hibiscus rum punch that became a sour: tiki meets tart hibiscus under a velvety foam topped with nutmeg.
Ingredients
- Dark rume.g. Planteray Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum35 ml
- White rume.g. Flor de Caña25 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed22 ml
- Hibiscus syrup20 ml
- Falernum15 ml
- Egg white1 whole
- Pineapple juice (optional)15 ml
- Orange juice (optional)15 ml
- Aromatic bitters (Angostura)e.g. Angostura2 dashes
- Nutmeg, to garnish1 grating
Method
- Dry shake. Put everything except the bitters and nutmeg, including the egg white, into a shaker without ice. Shake hard for about 15 seconds to emulsify and build the foam. Cold egg whites do not foam as well.
- Wet shake. Add ice and shake again until the shaker is ice-cold and frosted, about 15 seconds more.
- Double-strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a chilled old fashioned glass over ice, or into a coupe if you prefer it straight up. Finish with a few drops of Angostura on the foam and a grating of nutmeg.
Cocktails Compass
About this drink
It started as a hibiscus punch made by the batch, and it got better the moment I shook a single serve with egg white. Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple rum carries most of the flavour, with a preserved, grilled-pineapple funk, while Flor de Caña keeps the base dry and balanced. Hibiscus syrup and falernum take roughly the roles orgeat and curaçao play in a Mai Tai, so the result leans more towards a tiki sour with a floral twist than a fruity drink. The egg white makes a dense, creamy foam that holds grated nutmeg and a few drops of Angostura on the surface. And it is the nutmeg that lifts it from good to a drink you want to write down. Make one, and you will want to batch the drink itself the next time guests come round.
Questions and answers
Can I use more pineapple juice?
Hold back. The Stiggins' rum already brings plenty of pineapple, so extra juice tips the drink from balanced sour towards fruit punch. If you want more pineapple character, turn up the rum rather than the juice.
Can I make the drink in advance?
Partly. The rum, syrup and falernum can sit ready-mixed in the fridge for days. But squeeze the lime and orange on the day you serve, since fresh citrus is the only thing that fades fast. For a batch, mix everything except the citrus and egg white ahead, and shake each drink with egg white at the end.
Why is my foam so thin?
You are probably shaking too gently or not for long enough. Egg white needs shaking harder and longer than you think: start with a dry shake without ice to whip the white, then shake again with ice. A thin foam is the difference between heavenly and flat.
