You made it through one holiday, but now there are more on the horizon. Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s… whatever’s on your docket this year, you’re going to need some appropriately festive cocktails. Like the Tamarind Fizz, which is the handsome number you see here. It comes from NYC’s Fifty, and it’s the end result of mixing floral Nolet’s Gin with tamarind and a couple of French liqueurs–Yellow Chartreuse and Benedictine. Throw in some egg white and club soda–because this is a fizz, after all–and you’ve got yourself a tall, flavorful drink to help you get through these next few weeks.
To make it, you’ll need to take an extra step and prepare a tamarind reduction, but it’s remarkably easy and worth the effort, as that concentrated flavor goes a long way. Make more than you need, and you’ll be swimming in tamarind drinks all season long.
The Tamarind Fizz
2 oz Nolet’s Silver Gin
1 1/2 oz Tamarind Reduction*
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1 dash Angostura Bitters
1 egg white
Club soda
Shake all ingredients without ice, then add ice and shake again. Pour into a collins glass filled with about 1 1/2 ounces of club soda. Let it rest for 60 seconds in the fridge. Then top with more club soda until the foam rises a little above the glass. Grate cinnamon for garnish.
*Tamarind Reduction
1 lb tamarind paste
1 qt water
6 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
Add all ingredients to a pot, and heat on the stove at medium high heat. Reduce for about an hour with occasional stirring. Let cool before using.
With the recipe above, How much tamarind reduction do you end up with? 1 lb of tamarind paste seems a bit much if I just want to make a couple of drinks!
It makes enough for several rounds of drinks. We figure, if you’re going to make the effort, you might as well have leftovers. But if you’re just making a couple drinks, you can easily halve or quarter the recipe. Just keep the ratios the same, and you’ll be fine.