Winter isn’t just about Christmas trees and snowflakes. It’s also a great time to enjoy the holidays with a cozy fire and a warm cocktail. I’ve been playing around with various mixology methods and found that sous vide is a fantastic way to infuse flavor and extract essence of ingredients. Yes, sous vide is an innovative technique that works not only for meats, but also for cocktails. Well, if you haven’t given it a shot yet, I’m excited to share 3 of my favorite sous vide cocktails recipes and how to make them with you. Get ready to treat your taste buds!
Why Sous Vide Cocktails?
Sous vide cooking was originally used to keep roast beef tender and juicy, but now that sous vide immersion circulators are more affordable, many cocktail enthusiasts are getting in on the action.
The benefits are consistent results every time and maximum flavor extraction from ingredients. But there’s another big advantage - speed - those vibrant, flavorful drinks that used to take overnight or even days can now be prepared in just a few hours.
What Do You Need?
Before we get started with the recipes, make sure you have all the necessary tools:
- Sous vide machine
- Large container to hold water for sous vide cooking
- Vacuum sealer with Liquid mode, like the INKBIRD INK-VS04
- BPA-free vacuum bags or mason jars
- Cocktail shaker
- Cocktail glasses, highball, old-fashioned, martini, or coupes
Sous Vide Gin & Tonic
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of gin
- 1 cup lemongrass, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 lime, zest and juice
- 1 tablespoon of juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice powder
- 2 cups of tonic water
- 1/2 cup agave syrup
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- Lime wedges
Directions:
- Start by filling a container with water and attaching your INKBIRD sous vide immersion circulator, setting it to 140°F (60°C).
- In a sous vide bag, combine gin, lemongrass, lemon, lime, juniper berries, fine salt, and allspice powder, then seal it using the vacuum sealer.
- Submerge the bag in the water bath and let it cook for 2 hours.
- After cooking, strain the hot gin through a strainer into a cocktail shaker until the liquid runs clear, discarding the solids.
- Mix in the agave syrup and shake well.
- Pour the infused gin over ice in a glass, top it off with tonic water, stir gently, and finish with a lime wedge and a sprig of rosemary for garnish.
Sous Vide Vermouth
Ingredients:
- 1 bottle dry white wine
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup sweet sherry
- 1/2 cup Panela cane sugar
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender
- 1 teaspoon chamomile buds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried wormwood
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 orange peel
- 1 lemon peel
- 5 cardamom pods
- 1 vanilla pod
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
Directions:
- Add water into a container and set your INKBIRD sous vide cooker to 155°F (68.5°C).
- Place all ingredients except brandy, sweet sherry, sugar, and hot water in a mason jar and seal with it up.
- Submerge the jar in the water bath for 4 hours, using a weight if it floats due to air inside.
- With an hour left, you can prepare the syrup. Heat the sugar and water in a small pot over low heat and stir clockwise until the sugar completely dissolves - just don’t let it boil.
- After 4 hours of cooking, take the jar out and cool it in an ice bath. Once it’s at room temperature, strain out all the solid ingredients, add the syrup, brandy, and sweet sherry, then bottle it up and pop it in the refrigerator.
Sous Vide Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450g) wild Argentinian colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
Directions:
- Fill the container with enough water and insert your INKBIRD sous vide cooker. Set the temperature to 140°F (60°C) and preheat for about 10-15 minutes.
- Evenly coat the shrimp with butter, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and soda.
- Place the shrimp in a single layer in a vacuum bag and use vacuum sealer to remove all the air.
- Submerge the sealed bag in the water bath and cook for 25 minutes. If the bag floats, weigh it down with something heavy to keep the shrimp fully underwater.
- While the shrimp are cooking, slice two pieces from a lemon for garnish and juice the rest. Then combine the juice with ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and minced garlic to make a cocktail sauce. Pour the mixture into a highball glass.
- Once cooked, transfer the bag to an ice bath to cool the shrimp, then refrigerate for 1 hour to maintain their crispiness. Finally, assemble the shrimp and lemon slice on the rim of the highball glass and serve.
