[ruby_title]The King and Queen by Panying Lee, Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore[/ruby_title]
Created for a menu of cocktails that draw inspiration from William Farquhar’s Collection of Natural History Drawings, team Nutmeg & Clove wanted to incorporate the king of fruits on their menu, and while they’re at it, the queen of fruits, the mangosteen, in that same drink too. “It was one of the most difficult cocktails we’ve ever made, because the pairing was difficult – it was very hard for us to get the ratios right without overpowering each component of the cocktail.”
The r&d for the ingredient-laden drink sent them on a quest to try durians varieties in different forms. “We picked frozen durian in the end because it’ll be more consistent, and maoshan wang, because we wanted the quality of the durian to match the craft spirits in the cocktails,” explains bartender Panying Lee. This sought-after variety of durian is prized for its bittersweet flavour packed in its bright yellow flesh. To put them together, they wanted to veer away from “the typical dessert-y cocktail”, and instead, opted for a clarified Milk Punch, which removes the intimidation factor and adds an element of surprise to that first sip.
To protect the hard work they’ve put into the drink, they’re keeping the recipe a secret for now, but Lee will say that frozen pulp is cooked with ground butter-toasted coffee beans, pandan, mangosteen juice and sugar to create a syrup. That mixture is then curdle-clarified with hot milk and lemon, rum is added, and the combination strained and pre-batched to serve over ice on order. The pre-batch keeps for two weeks in the fridge, and each sip yields aromas of the citrus garnish to start, pandan and mangosteen in the body, then a mild durian scent in the finish. “It’s not too overpowering. I’m not a durian lover, but I would even drink it,” says Lee.
