Elements: Tahini Cocktails
A historic staple of Levantine cuisine, tahini—a creamy mixture of ground sesame seeds—has been used in savory and sweet dishes for centuries. And while you may be more accustomed to mixing it into your hummus, there’s a good argument for mixing it into your cocktails as well. Tahini’s mellow, nutty flavor and luxurious texture can be used in various cocktail applications, from fat washing and syrups to stepping in as an orgeat substitute.
Chris Ainsworth, chef and co-owner of Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in Walla Walla, Washington, also approaches cocktails from a culinary perspective. “I look for ways to incorporate the ingredients we already use into drinks, which is how I hit on fat-washing vodka with tahini,” he says. “The neutral spirit takes on the toasty elements and slightly bitter finish of the tahini and provides a rounded mouthfeel.” For his Pinky Swear, Ainsworth combines the tahini vodka with an Italian aperitif, maraschino liqueur, and walnut bitters; the final touch is a spritz of Lebanese anise liqueur inside the glass. “Tahini plays well with the syrupy sweetness of the aperitif and cherry liqueur, and walnut bitters amplifies its tannic notes,” says Ainsworth, noting that the tahini vodka would also work in a dirty Martini or Lemon Drop.
Pinky Swear
1 1/2 oz. tahini-washed vodka
1 1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano Rosa
1 oz. maraschino liqueur
1 dash walnut bitters
2 spritzes arak (or other anise-forward spirit)
Tools: barspoon
Glass: rocks
Garnish: maraschino cherry, orange twist and candied ginger
Spritz or lightly rinse a chilled rocks glass with the anise spirit. Add a large ice cube and the remaining ingredients, and stir briefly. Garnish.
Tahini VodkaWhisk together 1 liter of vodka and 1 cup of tahini, then pour into a sealable container and place in the freezer overnight. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth to remove the bulk of the tahini, then strain again through a coffee filter (changing the filter once or twice, as needed). Repeat the filtration until the vodka is almost clear, then bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Chris Ainsworth, Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen, Walla Walla, Washington
At Homer, a Middle Eastern–Mediterranean restaurant in Seattle, bar manager Ginny Edwards was asked to create a tahini-based cocktail that would feel cohesive with the food menu. The result was Hey Jude, an herbaceous, savory cocktail made with caraway-forward aquavit and a salted lemon-cilantro syrup. “The savory spice notes and subtle sweetness in the aquavit work well with tahini’s nutty and bitter notes. And those flavors are amplified by the citrus and salty syrup,” says Edwards.
For Edwards, tahini’s texture is just as appealing as its flavor, imparting a frothy body and a velvety consistency. “It’s the hero ingredient we never knew we needed,” she says.
Hey Jude
1 1/2 oz. aquavit
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. savory lemon-cilantro syrup
1 barspoon tahini
Mezcal, for rinsing
Tools: shaker, strainer, fine strainer
Glass: rocks
Garnish: fennel blossom, cilantro sprig, or lemon wheel (optional)
Rinse a rocks glass with a small splash of mezcal, discarding the excess. Combine the remaining ingredients in a shaker and shake well without ice until the mixture is foamy, then add ice and shake again until chilled. Double strain over a large ice cube in the prepared glass, then garnish.
Savory Lemon-Cilantro SyrupIn a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil, then add 1 tsp. of kosher or sea salt, half a lemon cut into quarters, and 5-6 sprigs of cilantro with stems, maintaining a rolling boil. Slowly add 1 cup of sugar, stirring to dissolve, then remove from heat. Allow the syrup to cool before double straining out the solids. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Ginny Edwards, Homer, Seattle
For newly minted cookbook author Rose Previte, owner of Maydān in Washington, D.C., tahini is a part of her Lebanese heritage, and the inspiration for the Halwa, a Margarita riff. “Our bar manager Nari Kim had the brilliant idea of making tahini the star of the Halwa by using it in a syrup with sugar, vanilla, and orange blossom water,” says Previte. “It’s her version of a drinkable Snickers bar, but it reminds me of the halva I ate growing up.”
Halwa
1 1/2 oz. reposado tequila
1 oz. tahini syrup
1/2 oz. orange liqueur
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: coupe
Garnish: ground pistachios
Shake all of the ingredients with ice until very cold, then strain into a chilled coupe and garnish.
Tahini SyrupIn a blender, combine 1 cup of tahini (stirred smooth before measuring), 1 cup of hot water, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp. of kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp. of orange blossom water. Blend until smooth and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Rose Previte and Nari Kim, Maydān, Washington, D.C.
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