It’s Friday! Unwind with a Lemongrass and Ginger Rum Cocktail

From John Gregory-Smith’s Mighty Spice Cookbook.

It’s London Cocktail Week, so to get you in the mood, have this wonderful rum concoction on us! From John Gregory-Smith’s Mighty Spice Cookbook, it fuses mellow rum with the zing of fresh ginger and aromatic lemongrass, all topped up with tonic for a seriously sophisticated and perfectly refreshing drink. Chin-chin!

Lemongrass and Ginger Rum Cocktail

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes
 
4 lemongrass stalks
250g/9oz/heaped 1 cup caster sugar
1cm/½in piece root ginger, peeled
1 tsp grated root ginger
100ml/3½fl oz/⅓ cup light rum
juice of 2 limes
tonic water, for topping up

1. Cut off the ends of the lemongrass stalks and bash the fatter ends of the lemongrass a couple of times with a heavy spoon to help release their delicious flavour. Put the lemongrass in a saucepan with the sugar and 185ml/6fl oz/¾ cup water and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, shaking the pan occasionally, for 4–5 minutes, or until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. You will end up with more sugar syrup than you need for four drinks, but it’s important to cover the lemongrass stalks with enough water so you get the maximum flavour from them. The extra syrup will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

2. Grate the ginger into a cocktail shaker, discarding any fibrous bits. Pour in the rum, juice from 1 of the limes, 55ml/1¾fl oz/scant ¼ cup of the cooled lemongrass sugar syrup, then add the lemongrass stalks from the syrup and a handful of ice. Shake vigorously until the ingredients are well combined.

3. Divide the cocktail into four ice-filled rocks glasses, top up each glass with tonic water and serve with a lemongrass stalk from the shaker to use as a stirrer.

4. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime into the four glasses and stir in with the lemongrass stalks. Serve immediately.
 
 
Spicing up your bookshelf, Mighty Spice Cookbook will take you on a culinary journey across the globe – with 100 inspiring recipes from the Far East, North Africa and Central America.

Mighty Spice Cookbook by John Gregory-Smith

224 pages • Illustrated • £14.99

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