4th of July Drink

This one was shot gonzo-style (i.e., on my phone), served to a large crowd, and primarily about image. So basically, it was just like politics. Independence day is all about the red, white, and blue, so I decided to bring back that old resort classic, the Lava Flow, and garnish it with an attention-grabbing top-off of blue sanding sugar.

That's all there is to it. We had initially tried rimming the glass with blue sugar, but with this style of glass, that did not provide the density that I desired for maximum visual impact. Sprinkling blue sugar on top proved to be both more striking and simpler to execute.

For the puree, I blended a cup of raspberries, a cup of strawberries, and ~6 oz of raspberry jam, and stored the puree in a squeeze bottle. This produced both a richness of flavor and a thick viscosity, ideal for coating the outside of clear plastic party cups.

For the smoothie, we used compressed pineapple, made in a chamber vac. It didn't affect the final drink in any noticeable way, but it signaled our molecularly gastronomic values. The plating was the most interesting part of this drink, I am sure you will agree.

4th of July Lava Flow

3/4 Cup of compressed pineapple

8 oz light rum (Bacardi)

4 oz Trader Joe's Coconut Cream

3 oz lime juice

2 oz simple syrup (1:1)

2 Cups of ice

Blend it up, and pour it into a clear glass with red stripes of berry puree.

Top with blue sanding sugar.

All of the above measurements are approximations, except the rum/lime/sugar. I never measure my smoothies.

The most frustrating thing about this drink is that it tastes better if you swirl it all together, and that completely ruins the aesthetics. Personally I'd rather preserve its beauty, but most guests opted for the stir.

Populism vs. elitism, I guess.

Happy fourth.