Adding Spice to Your Cocktails
Make a Mango Coconut Masalatini and take your cocktail spice adventure from there
All photos by Rinku Bhattacharya
The Mango Coconut Masalatini, is one of my very favorite ways to celebrate summer. Summer to me is about the sweetness and vibrancy of its fruit. This cocktail brings two my favorite flavors to my table: fragrant spices and ripe mangoes. (As a general disclaimer, many shots of spiced vodka were happily downed to get the right degree of spice infusion for this drink. )
To create this spice infusion, in a mostly wine based drink, I have used a few spice tricks from the Indian kitchen, resulting in notes of flavor that are nuanced, sophisticated, and light. They key to getting the right flavor here is ensuring that you use fresh spices and layer the flavors. The result is to experience a lot of different flavors and textures with each sip.
Why use an infusion instead of making a syrup?
In my early days of working with spice based cocktails, I created syrups and also tried a variety of liqueurs. The challenge with using either of these approaches is that you have added sugar to your cocktail that you have to work around. Spice infused vodka works like a charm, and it can also be used for cakes and other desserts. The neutral taste of the spirit is a perfect foil for most flavors, as it takes on nuances without clashing with the other ingredients in the drink.
Making the spice infused vodka is as simple as steeping good vodka with spices for about 2 to 3 hours. Steeping it longer deepens the flavors up to a point, but it can get too overpowering after a week. So, make this spice infused vodka in smaller amounts as needed.
Make the spiced vodka
The spices or masala for this drink are black cardamom and cinnamon. For every ½ pint of vodka, you will need 2 black cardamoms and 1 large, about a 3 to 4-inch quill of cinnamon. I like to use mason jars for steeping the vodka, but you can get fancier with your equipment if you wish. If you like heat, you can add in a quarter teaspoon of red cayenne pepper to this mix as well. The color of the vodka is a pale golden brown color when ready, just like the flavor the color deepens the longer it rests.
The rest of this drink is about the happy marriage of fresh mango pulp, coconut milk, and a sweet white wine. My preference is either a sweet riesling or a Moscato. Canned mango pulp can be substituted for the fresh mangoes, but try to find an unsweetened variety. Instead of the mango, in season fresh peaches or apricots might also be used to this drink. The tiny black seeds are sweet basil seeds, and in addition to color, they add a fun and soft texture to the drink. They may be left out if you do not have easy access to them, but it is always fun to try and find them.
Mango Coconut Masalatini
For every glass:
½ cup cubed fresh mango (or other ripe fruit such as peach, apricot, strawberry, etc.)
2 tablespoons brown sugar (reduce if your mango is very sweet)
6 oz. white wine (sweet riesling or moscato, such as Barefoot Moscato, silver medal winner in the 2019 NY International Wine Competition)
2 tablespoons spiced vodka, prepared as detailed above
1 tablespoon sweet basil seeds
4 ounces unsweetened coconut milk
Ice cubes as needed
Garnish: sliced coconut, edible flowers (be sure they are safe), cinnamon sticks
Place the mango cubes, brown sugar, white wine, and spiced vodka in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the sweet basil seeds and let this rest for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to interact.Prepare a tall glass 1/3 way with ice cubes. Pour in the mango mixture. Add in the coconut milk. It mixes with the mango wine mixture as it settles. Top with the sliced coconut, add edible flowers if you have some and tuck in a cinnamon stick before serving.