Insenso Ni Gaspar Recipe by Liquido Maestro Kalel Demetrio

Part 2 of “Regalo ng Tatlong Hari” Cocktail series by Liquido Maestro Kalel Demetrio

“This drink is inspired by seasonal fruits in the Philippines during Christmas such as longan, strawberry, fuji apple, and passion fruit. The drink has a base of Hendrick’s Gin and Vigan Basi. In the story of the Three Wise Men, Gaspar is the one who brought the incense, so for this cocktail recipe, I smoked the drink in an enclosed glass with apple chip wood, kalingag bark (local cinnamon), and assorted dried flowers.”

Ingredients:

30 ml strawberry juice
2 slices red apple
30 ml longan juice
30 ml Hendrick’s Gin
30 ml Vigan Basi
1 bar spoon of passionfruit
2 bar spoon peppercorn
30 ml beet honey aqua faba (aqua faba or “water bean,” (the liquid from canned chickpeas) with honey and beet root infusion)
15 ml Manille Liqueur de Calamansi
1 spritz Bagsik Bitters Hibiscus Capsicum (homemade recipe of Liquido Maestro)
assorted dried flowers
1 kalingag bark (local cinnamon)
apple chip wood

Glassware: Coupé

Garnish: Longan and apple slices

Directions:

Add strawberry juice, longan juice, passionfruit, beet honey aqua faba, red apple slices, and peppercorns in a tin shaker.
Muddle ingredients and add the other liquid ingredients, gin, Vigan Basi, Manille Liqueur de Calamansi, and bitters.
Strain in a coupé glass and garnish with longan and apple slices.
Place the glass on a wooden plate and surround it with kalingag bark and dried flowers.
Using a torch, burn the kalingag bark and dried flowers, enclose the drink in a glass dome to infuse smoke into the cocktail.
Insert the smoking hose and add apple chip wood smoke.
Let it sit for a few seconds to get the right smoke infusion.
Open the glass dome and serve.

Tasting Notes: The drink is floral, fruity, and rosy with a hint of smoke. It is easy to down, and its unique combination of unusual flavors will leave you wanting more. A sure crowd pleaser at family gatherings.