3 auspicious cocktails to whip up at home this CNY

Add a little prosperity to your 'yam seng' this festive season.

Hearty drinks to ring in the Lunar New Year (All photos: Low Yen Yeing/The Edge)

Tables full of colourful fare and glasses overflowing with hearty drink are the best ways to usher in the Year of the Snake. To inject a little extra prosperity into your yam seng, we asked the team at AlcoHall by Wholly Spirits to craft us three unique cocktail recipes using iconic CNY ingredients.

 

MANDARIN GARIBALDI

Giving oranges is a traditional practice for sharing wealth among friends and family, but we all know the feeling of staring helplessly at the remaining piles of mandarins on the brink of mouldiness after the holiday season tapers out. For those swiftly discovering the limits of how much fruit the human body can eat, this super simple Mandarin Garibaldi is a fantastic way to enjoy your auspicious gifts while they are still fresh.

Ingredients
45ml Campari
2 mandarin oranges, peeled


Method

  1. Using a blender, juice mandarin oranges until frothy. It should yield approximately 120ml of liquid.
  2. In a tall glass, add ice cubes, followed by Campari.
  3. Gently pour in the juice, filling to the brim. Garnish with a mandarin orange wedge or a dash of edible gold glitter. This convenient concoction is great for entertaining crowds, and best enjoyed with peanut cookies and festive biscuits.

 

MILKY WAY

Need a more mature way to enjoy your childhood sweets? This milky riff on a White Lady packs all the nostalgia of chewy White Rabbit candies into an elegant, boozy package. The infused Cointreau is optimally achieved using a sous vide machine, but if you do not have a kitted-out kitchen, not to worry: It is easily replicated with hot water and a ziplock bag. The result? A velvety, slightly tangy tipple sure to satiate any sweet tooth.

 

Preparation
For White Rabbit infused Cointreau:
150ml Cointreau
75g White Rabbit candy, unwrapped

  1. In a food grade ziplock bag, combine Cointreau and White Rabbit candies. Seal carefully!
  2. Boil a pot of water to 70°C, then remove from heat. Place the bag in the water, ensuring contents are submerged. Let it sit until room temperature. If using an immersion circulator, simply sous vide at 60°C for one hour.
  3. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and whisk (or blend) to fully emulsify. The infusion can be stored refrigerated for up to a year.


Ingredients
45ml London dry gin
15ml lemon juice
15ml White Rabbit infused Cointreau
A pinch of salt
1 egg white (for a vegan alternative, use 10ml aquafaba or 5 drops Aér Cocktail Enhancer)
 

Method

  1. In a cocktail shaker, add all the ingredients, then load  up with ice.
  2. Shake thoroughly for about 30 seconds, then strain into a pre-chilled coupe or white wine glass.
  3. Garnish with an orange peel and savour alongside yee sang — just be wary of stray bits flying into your drink.

 

LUCKY DATE

Red dates are mandatory eating this time of year if one is wishing for happiness and prosperity. Formulated à la Old Fashioned, Lucky Date is a refined take on the essential longan red date drink enjoyed by all ages. This recipe requires by far the most preparation, involving an infusion and cooked sugar, but rest assured it is well worth it. The warm toasted aromas, familiar yet elevated liang sui (cooling herbal tea) flavour and exquisitely smooth finish are guaranteed to impress.

Preparation
For dried longan infused dark rum:
225ml dark rum
45g dried longan

  1. Like the White Rabbit Cointreau, add the rum and longan to a food safe ziplock bag, then submerge in 70°C water. Once it reaches room temperature, just strain the contents and the infused rum is ready to use.

 

For red date caramel:
100g red dates, deseeded
300ml water
100g brown sugar

  1. Add the dates and water to a pot and bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Cover in cling wrap and allow it to steam. Let cool, then separate the cooked dates from the liquid (save the fruit for garnish).
  2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, cook the brown sugar on medium heat evenly until it caramelises, swirling occasionally.
  3. Once it reaches a frothy, deep amber colour, turn off the heat and deglaze with 100ml of the red date liquid, stirring until it forms a smooth syrup that will keep if refrigerated for up to a year.

 

Ingredients
45ml dried longan infused dark rum
10ml red date caramel
7 drops of Angostura orange bitters
A pinch of salt


Method

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a rocks glass and add ice. A large block works best to slow down dilution, but regular cubes are perfectly fine as well.
  2. Stir the mixture until properly chilled.
  3. Skewer a cooked date with a toothpick and perch over the glass for a snazzy accent. Serve with classic desserts like flaky wo bing (Shanghai sweet pancake) or fried, sticky nian gao (steamed rice cake).


If you are not up for doing it yourself, AlcoHall at Arcoris Mont Kiara will be offering a similar version of Milky Way from Jan 25 to Feb 13.

This article first appeared on Jan 20, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.

 

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