Inspired by the flavors of Thai cuisine, the author sought to create a cocktail that harmoniously blends sweet, savory, and sour elements. Peanut butter whiskey served as the foundation for this endeavor, complemented by the inclusion of lime leaf, a key component in green curry, and tamarind, a staple in Pad Thai. Both of these Thai dishes often feature peanuts or peanut oil. The cocktail aims to reimagine familiar flavors in a refreshing beverage format. While considering the name “Peanut Colada,” the author ultimately opted for “Viyada,” a tribute to their Thai heritage and a nod to their mother’s potential naming choice.
Viyada
Ingredients
- 1 oz Whiskey Skrewball peanut butter whiskey
- 1 1/2 oz Rum Malibu coconut rum
- 1/2 oz Lime Juice of lime shrub – made with lime juice, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, Thai basil, and lime leaf
- 3 oz Tamarind Soda
Instructions
- Stir Skrewball, coconut rum, and lime shrub over ice. Strain into a lowball glass with ice, and top with tamarind soda. Garnish with a spring of Thai basil, a lime wedge, and/or an edible flower.
- The goal is to reach a balance of sweet, savory, sour, and herbal, so that no single note stands out too much.
For specifics on making the shrub:
- I started with making a 1:1 water and brown sugar syrup, simmered the lime leaf and Thai
- basil, and removed the leaves once they started looking pale. I juiced limes to get an 1 part of lime juice to add, added some of the lime peels to the simmer, and removed them once they looked pale. I added 1 part apple cider vinegar, and continued to simmer – I feel like going higher temp at this point evened out the vinegar taste after awhile. I poured everything into a jar, and added a second batch of lime leaf and Thai basil to steep while warm, then removed it once the jar had cooled entirely. Once cold, I added a single lime leaf to steep cold overnight, and obtained the herbal flavor I was looking for.
- For 1 cup brown sugar syrup, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup lime juice – I used 16
- lime leaves and 25 Thai basil leaves in simmering the brown sugar syrup, simmered 12 lime halves after adding the lime juice, and steeped another 16 lime leaves and 25 Thai basil leaves after adding the shrub to a jar and while it was still warm.
For a pared down spec in consideration of ingredient availability, and access to an Asian market and tamarind soda:
- 1.0oz peanut butter whiskey
- 1.5oz coconut rum
- 0.5oz lime juice
- 3.0oz~ club soda
- 0.25oz demerara syrup
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