La Vallée Piquante / The Spicy Vale Recipe

Prepare tomato juice

If using store-bought tomato juice, chill and strain if pulpy. For fresh: core 2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chop and blitz in a blender. Strain through a fine mesh to yield about 3 oz of smooth tomato juice; discard solids.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz vodka, 3 oz tomato juice, 0.5 oz peach liqueur (or peach syrup), 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce, 3 dashes Tabasco, 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper and 0.25 tsp fine sea salt.

Mix and chill

Add 3–4 large ice cubes to the shaker, cap and shake vigorously for 8–10 seconds just to chill and combine while slightly diluting the mixture. Do not over-shake — you want the tomato texture to remain slightly silky.

Prepare parmesan chip

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) or use a nonstick skillet. Grate or shave about 1 oz parmesan. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, mound 1 oz grated parmesan into a thin 2–3 inch circle. Sprinkle lightly with smoked paprika (optional) and a tiny drizzle (0.25 tsp) of olive oil. Bake 5–7 minutes until golden and bubbling; the edges will brown. For stovetop, cook in a nonstick skillet over medium heat 2–3 minutes until the cheese melts and crisps. Let cool on the sheet — it will harden into a chip.

Assemble the glass

Fill a chilled highball or pint glass with fresh ice (3–4 large cubes). Strain the shaken tomato-vodka-peach mixture into the glass, leaving about 0.5–1 oz headroom to top with beer.

Top with beer

Slowly pour 3 oz cold blonde beer down the side of the glass to preserve some carbonation and create a layered effervescence. Give the drink one gentle stir with a celery stalk to integrate the beer without flattening it.

Garnish and serve

Garnish with a lemon wedge on the rim and rest the parmesan chip on the rim or slide it onto the celery as a crisp accompaniment. Serve immediately so the chip stays crisp and the beer remains effervescent.