Love Direction
Cacao-Washed Scotch Whisky, Anchovy, Banana, Tepache, Orange
Bartender Tyler Davidson of Chinato | New York
Adapted by StarChefs | March 2025 | Photo: Will Blunt
INGREDIENTS
Cacao-Washed Scotch:
200 grams cacao butter
20 grams dried anchovies
1.6 liters Dewar’s 12-year Scotch whisky
Banana Acid:
1.2 kilograms banana purée
2.4 grams PectinX
3.2 grams agar agar
Lactic acid
Sherry Gummy:
12 sheets gelatin
300 milliliters Pedro Ximénez Sherry
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 cocktail
20 grams Sazón tepache
20 milliliters Muyu Chinotto Nero liqueur
5 milliliters Giffard Banane du Brasil liqueur
Orange peel
METHOD
For the Cacao-Washed Scotch:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add anchovies and fry until anchovies are golden brown. Remove from heat and let sit 15 minutes. Once infused, strain, discarding anchovies. In a large nonreactive container, add infused cacao butter and Scotch. Mix to combine. Let sit 1 hour at room temperature. Seal and freeze overnight. The next day, strain, bottle, and reserve.
For the Banana Acid:
In a mixing bowl, whisk to combine banana purée and PectinX. Set aside. In a pot over medium heat, add agar agar and 400 grams water. Cook until agar agar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in banana purée mixture. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze 30 minutes. Double strain mixture, discarding all solids. Weigh banana water and transfer to a mixing bowl. Whisk in 0.06-percent lactic acid by weight of banana water. Bottle and reserve.
For the Sherry Gummy:
Place gelatin in a mixing bowl. Cover with enough cold water to submerge and let hydrate 5 minutes. Remove gelatin, squeezing out all excess water. Transfer gelatin to a pot over low heat. Add Sherry. Cook until gelatin has fully dissolved, sitting constantly. Remove from heat and transfer to an airtight container. Freeze 1 hour, or until mixture has set. On a work surface, cut into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a mixing glass, add tepache, liqueurs, 40 milliliters Cacao-Washed Scotch, and 20 milliliters Banana Acid. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a coupe glass and express orange peel over top. Garnish with expressed orange peel. Serve with 1 Sherry Gummy.
