French 75

Gin, Agave, Lemongrass Syrup, Lemon, Sparkling Wine, Thai Bitters

Bartender Adrian Fessenden-Kroll of Talat Market | Atlanta

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Adapted by StarChefs | May 2023

INGREDIENTS

Thai Bitters:
1 liter high-proof rum
600 grams fresh pineapple
40 grams toasted coconut
6 allspice berries
3 star anise seeds
Zest of 2 oranges
Zest of 2 grapefruits
110 grams lemongrass
4 soursop leaves
6 grams coriander seeds
1 cinnamon stick
Makhwaen seed

Lemongrass Syrup:
16 ounces chopped lemongrass stalks
32 ounces 1:1 simple syrup

To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 cocktail
1 ounce gin
½ ounce Xila agave liqueur
½ ounce lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters
Dry sparkling wine
Edible flowers

METHOD

For the Thai Bitters:
Heat the water bath of an immersion circulator to 140°F. In a vacuum bag, add all ingredients. Cook sous vide 2 hours then let sit overnight. Strain and reserve.

For the Lemongrass Syrup:
In a Vitamix blender, purée lemongrass on high speed. Slowly stream in simple syrup until mixture is fully combined. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain the mixture and reserve.

To Assemble and Serve:
In a shaker with ice, combine gin, liqueur, ½ ounce Lemongrass Syrup, lemon juice, 4 dashes Thai Bitters, and orange bitters. Shake and double strain into a coupe. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with flowers.

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