Other fruit and produce
Citrus fruits aren’t the only ones with acidity. “I love using tamarind, raspberries and blackberries – through to fresh apples and sumac,” says Hannah. “Hibiscus tea is another alternative that packs an acid punch.” Vijay opts for things such as green mango, sorrel, starfruit, tamarind, and fermented fruits – especially natural fermentations, as occurs with pineapple – while Jun tries everything from grape skins to various leaves.
In terms of sustainability, the idea of replacing citrus with other fruit may seem as just perpetuating the same waste problem. As Hannah explains, “from a sustainability standpoint, anything where you can use the whole fruit is best – for example, turning rinds into citrus stock, or in the case of tamarind, dehydrating the pulp for garnish.”
Louis has also experimented with fruit by procuring them early in their ripening cycle, before their natural acidity has converted in sugars. “This is quite common for passion fruits (naturally high in acids when under-ripe), pomelos, raspberries, etc,” he explains. “However, this will leave you very susceptible to natural forces, and for the sake of the argument, will be pretty unreliable when you are running a bar.”
No Lemon Clover Club
by Hannah Keirl
45ml The West Winds Sabre gin
45ml Raspberry and sumac syrup*
Egg white (optional)
Stir on ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
*Raspberry and sumac syrup: 350g raspberry puree; 3-4 tsp dried sumac or sumac powder; 200g sugar; 350ml water. Bring ingredients to boil and then fine strain.
