Inspired by Vietnam’s signature noodle soup, here’s our take on the Pho Cocktail.
Pho Cocktail Recipe – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
It’s not uncommon for food to cross over into the drink scene or for cocktails to draw inspiration from the kitchen. One such example is the Pho Cocktail, invented by bartender Pham Tien Tiep in 2012 as his entry to the Diageo World Class cocktail competition.
Pho is a popular Vietnamese noodle soup and the drink seeks to recreate its flavours into a cocktail that combines the usual pho spices – star anise, cardamom, cinnamon – mixed with gin, triple sec and freshly squeezed lime juice. There’s no broth or meat in the drink.
Our take on Pham Tien Tiep’s recipe has none of his theatrics of heating the gin and triple sec combination and running it through flaming pitchers. First, a Pho Spice Syrup is prepared (recipe here). Then all the ingredients are shaken with ice and fine strained into a chilled drinking vessel. We used a China bowl with an ice sphere but an old fashioned glass with a large ice cube can be substituted. The drink is garnished with a coriander sprig, star anise with a side of red chilli, a lime wedge and coriander. Our recipe uses a dash of fish sauce for an umami-salty note while a little Sriracha sauce adds a spicy kick on the finish.
When it comes to the choice of gin, an oriental spiced gin is an ideal choice otherwise a dry gin works well.
Pho Cocktail Recipe
Original recipe by Pham Tien Tiep, adapted by Cocktails & Bars
Ingredients
- 60 ml oriental spiced gin or dry gin
- 15 ml triple sec
- 25 ml pho spice syrup
- 25 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 dash of fish sauce
- 1 dash Sriracha sauce
Glassware: old fashioned glass or China bowl
Garnish: coriander sprig, red chilli, lime wedge, star anise
Method
Add the gin, triple sec, pho spice syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice, fish sauce and Sriracha sauce to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until the tin is very cold. Strain into a chilled old fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with coriander sprig, lime wedge and red chilli.
