At Thunderbolt in Los Angeles, the Piña Colada sodas and fruity juleps are easy-breezy—till you peek behind the scenes. The previous is made with pectinase and lactose resolution, plus a centrifuge and a customized extra-cold fridge; the latter borrows flavor-extraction methods from Dave Arnold’s Liquid Intelligence. All through the menu, no-frills classics belie hours of R&D.
So, once I just lately noticed a nonalcoholic Lychee Daiquiri made with “rum extract” on the bar’s menu, I used to be positive the star ingredient was one thing very technical and concerned. However, because it seems, it doesn’t require centrifugal movement of any sort, and also you don’t have to go to a specialty N/A bottle store to get it. I had not heard of rum extract earlier than, nevertheless it’s been a baking staple for years in all the things from bananas Foster to cheesecake. And in contrast to the bevy of recent zero-proof spirits available on the market, it’s comparatively reasonably priced, allotted by the sprint.
To make the Lychee Daiquiri, the Thunderbolt group blends canned lychee along with a tiny quantity of rum extract and glycerin; the latter ingredient is to fine-tune the feel, however in the event you’re making it at residence, proprietor Mike Capoferri says you may skip that step. The bar shakes the bottom with lime juice and saline resolution earlier than serving it in a coupe.
The Lychee Daiquiri is ingenious not only for its use of the culinary ingredient, which brings daring rum taste with out the proof, but additionally for its low-waste method to canned lychee. “We performed with lychee in so some ways, and the revelation was simply mixing the entire can right into a cocktail base,” says Capoferri. Utilizing each the fruit and its syrup provides physique to the drink—an asset within the N/A canon, the place watery cocktails typically fall flat—and avoids any sticky leftovers.
With such a easy software, rum flavorings are ripe for experimentation. However Capoferri says to be aware of the completely different choices: Rum extract accommodates a small quantity of alcohol, although because it’s utilized in cocktails, the general ABV is decrease than in sure soda and bitters mixtures and even N/A beers (which by definition can comprise as much as 0.5 % alcohol). Capoferri’s most well-liked model, from OliveNation, is water-soluble and constructed from a mix of rums. However for these avoiding alcohol altogether, rum emulsion, offered by the identical model, is usually a good various; it’s water-based and fully spirit-free. Attempt both in lieu of rum in a Mojito, dashed immediately into the glass, or a Piña Colada, blended right into a frozen base.
In fact, although, the Lychee Daiquiri is a superb place to begin. “This is without doubt one of the lowest-prep cocktails we make,” says Capoferri. “It’s such a straightforward factor that anybody can do, nevertheless it’s a really tasty cocktail.”
