The Australia Day cocktail for 2019 is a riff on an old time classic. The Australiana Cocktail is a variation on The Gimlet which gets an Australian flavour from native finger limes and lemon myrtle.
Australiana Cocktail – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Finger limes (citrus australasica) are an Australian native fruit, a common botanical found in many Australian gins, vermouths, liqueurs and other spirits. Also known as citrus caviar, the finger lime is a gherkin-shaped fruit filled with tiny caviar-like balls called vesicles that pop in the mouth to release a zesty citrusy flavour sensation. They come in various colours such as a pink, yellow and green and add a unique flavour to a cocktail. For more information on this versatile indigenous fruit, refer to this article which discusses the various uses of finger limes.
The Australiana Cocktail riffs on the classic Gimlet and introduces the native citrus caviar to the drink and a touch of lemon myrtle syrup. The finger lime vesicles are scooped out of the skin and muddled in the cocktail shaker to create a bright, zesty, spirit-forward and an elegant sipping cocktail to enjoy on Australia Day or any other day. A citrus-forward Australian gin works best and it’s best to avoid gins that are highly floral.
For a lighter, more sessionable option, the Australiana Cocktail can easily be converted into a Collins style drink by serving it tall over ice and topping it with soda water.
Australiana Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 ml dry Australian gin
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 ml lemon myrtle simple syrup *
- 1 large finger lime
- 2 drops of sea salt tincture
Glassware: coupette
Garnish: half a finger lime, cut lengthwise on a cocktail pick
Method
Slice the finger lime lengthwise, scoop out the vesicles into a cocktail shaker and muddle to release the juice from the vesicles. Add gin, lemon myrtle syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice and ice and shake vigorously. Double strain into a chilled coupette. Add 2 drops of sea salt tincture or a sprinkle of sea salt. Garnish with half a finger lime cut lengthwise on a cocktail pick.
* To make the lemon myrtle syrup, infuse 5 lemon myrtle leaves in a cup of hot water and leave covered overnight. The next day, strain the lemon myrtle leaves and use the infusion to make simple syrup in a 1:1 ratio.
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