Staying home during lockdown has made us long for the days when we could go out to eat and drink. We miss the socialising buzz as we savour culinary delights at our favourite restaurant or sip creative cocktails in the latest funky hangout. Life at home may not be the same, but it shouldn’t be completely boring. That is why it’s important to add interesting touches and twists to your every day. Ordering in a gourmet meal or heading to the kitchen to create your homemade speciality can bring some pleasure. But how much better could that meal be paired with a delicious cocktail handcrafted in your home bar? In fact, you could make every moment at home delightful with a refreshing beverage.
These three mixologists from Thailand’s top restaurants have shared their exclusively-for-MICHELIN-Guide recipes for tasty cocktails that are so easy to make at home. Now, you can be a bartender, slinging drinks like a pro, whether you’re throwing a party for your nearest and dearest or just enjoying a quiet sip alone.
“Present and Future” from Federico Balzarini of 80/20, La Dotta, il Fumo
Federico Balzarini, Group Manager of the Foodie Collection, which includes the one MICHELIN Starred 80/20, the two MICHELIN Plate recipients La Dotta and il Fumo, and other well-known cocktail bars along the Soi Convent area, added his unique flair to the Vesper, blending flavours from East and West. It is perfect as a sweet dessert cocktail, but it can also stand alone as a refreshing drink.
Ingredients and equipment
- 35 ml gin
- 15 ml yuzu sake
- A splash of sparkling wine
- 250 ml water
- 5 g chamomile tea
- Saffron
- 30 g sugar
- 15 ml lime juice
- Cocktail shaker or pint glass for mixing
- Coupe glass or a wide-mouth glass
How to make the Chamomile & Saffron Sorbet
- Once the tea is done, stir in the sugar and lime juice. Then place in the freezer to make sorbet.
- Boil the chamomile tea in the water with a little saffron.
- Take the sorbet out and stir with a fork every 35-40 minutes to prevent clumping.
- When the sorbet is formed, blend in a food processor for about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a metal or plastic container and place back in the freezer.
- Before serving in the cocktail, bring the sorbet out into room temperature for about 2-3 minutes first.
How to make the cocktail
- Pour the gin and sake into the cocktail shaker or mixing glass.
- Stir well and then pour into coupe or wide-mouth glass.
- Add a scoop of sorbet to the cocktail.
- Top off with a splash of sparkling wine and a bit of saffron.
“Illusional” from Chinaphong Palasak of Mia
Chinaphong “Dido” Palasak, mixologist of MICHELIN Plate winner Mia, shares a cocktail recipe that is clear cut to make, but the flavours may not be as clear cut as pandan leaves play with chocolate on your palate.
Ingredients and equipment
- 45 ml vodka
- 15 ml hazelnut liqueur
- 10 ml cocoa liqueur
- 15 ml pandan syrup
- 10 ml lime juice
- Chocolate (for garnish)
- Ice (for shaker and for glass)
- Cocktail shaker
- Coupe glass or wide-mouth glass
How to make pandan syrup
- Boil 50 ml water.
- Add 20 g pandan leaves and 50 g sugar.
- Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Leave to let cool.
How to make the cocktail
- Add all the ingredients, except the ice, into the shaker.
- Pour the mixture between containers (as how you would with the famous teh tarik aka milk tea) for about 30 seconds.
- Pour into coupe or wide-mouth glass and add one ice cube.
- Grate some chocolate onto the ice cube.
- Garnish with a pandan leaf.
“Canvas Spritz” from Supawit Muttarattana of Canvas
Supawit "Palm" Muttarattana, Group Bar Director of the Watermelon Group, which includes one MICHELIN Starred Canvas as well as popular bars around Bangkok, invites you to dust off that whiskey bottle for this sublime cocktail to savour at home.
Ingredients and equipment
- 15 ml whiskey
- 15 ml Italian bitters
- 15 ml dry vermouth
- 60 ml Earl Grey tea
- 90 ml tonic water
- 2-3 slices starfruit
- 2-3 slices lemon
- Highball glass
- Pint glass for mixing
How to make the cocktail
- Mix the whiskey, Italian bitters, dry vermouth, and Earl Grey tea in a mixing glass.
- Add ice and stir well.
- Pour mix and ice into glass.
- Top with tonic and stir slowly.
- Garnish with starfruit and lemon slices for an appealing look.
