Before we start this drink is one of the most labor intensive drinks I’ve ever made. I am proud of this drink but it’s not something to be taken lightly on production or one to suggest to your local bar. This drink is expensive to create and takes time.
Ingredients
- 2 Oz (60 ml) of Kyrö gin pink
- .5 Oz (15 ml) of simple syrup
- 4 Oz (120 ml) of Lingonberry beer reduction
Lingonberry beer reduction recipe
- 450 Grams of a wheat beer preferably one with a peach base
- 180 Grams of fresh or frozen lingonberries
- 45 grams of coriander
Step one is to toast the coriander until it just slightly burns. The charred coriander adds a nice toasty flavor that gives the drink a beautiful depth.
Step two is to pour the beer slowly trying to keep it from foaming as much as possible over the lingonberries. The reason for this is I found when cooking beer the loss of carbonation before you begin to heat it makes a lot of the aromatics lost. Now in the pot you combined those two in add the coriander and place on a heating source.
I personally prefer to use an induction stove cause keeping it at an exact heat is helpful for the drinks production. Put the stove at only 150 Degrees Fahrenheit (about 65 Celsius) keep cooking for around 45 minutes up to an hour.
Finely strain and squish those lingonberries with a spatula to get as much out as possible into your warm drink mix. Let that cool and you should have enough to make around four of these drinks.
Now upon serving the drink the overall construction is quite easy. Heat the 4oz of this beer reduction until its about as hot as tea when you’d drink it. In a glass that can handle heat add the Gin, The simple, and the warmed lingonberry reduction. Drink while warm and enjoy a nice almost tea like drink to warm the soul
The story behind this drink is something simple that myself and my boss got approached to enter a few drink competitions. One was a Mai-Thai and one was a drink with this Finnish gin to make a warm cocktail. I took the warm cocktail for the winter season and I worked to make this drink work falling in love with the gin in the process. Kyrö gin pink is a beautiful Gin that is infused with native Lingonberries, rhubarb, and strawberries and with that I created a drink infused with lingonberries as well. The name Pekko’s Grasp comes from the Finnish god of beer and harvest Pekko.
Now I did put hours and tried hard to make this drink. Did I win the competition? No I didn’t even get invited to compete. It was a cold shoulder to a project I put a lot of effort in but I learned to move past and still hold this drink dear to my heart.
Drinks by Greed 