Koi Recipe

Prepare maceration

Combine 75 g mixed fresh or thawed red berries (raspberries, strawberries, red currants) with 30 ml simple syrup and 30 ml gin in a jar. Lightly muddle the berries to release juices, seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing to extract liquid. You will use 40 ml of the resulting macerate for one cocktail; reserve remainder for additional servings or cocktails.

Combine ingredients

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour 60 ml Tanqueray gin, 15 ml Amaro Averna, 40 ml strained red berries maceration, 30 ml fresh pineapple juice, 15 ml lychee syrup (or lychee liqueur), 10 ml simple syrup, and 10 ml fresh lime juice.

Add bitters

Add 2 dashes of Fee Brothers aromatic bitters to the shaker.

Shake

Vigorously shake for 12–15 seconds until the shaker is well-chilled and slightly frosted. This chills and emulsifies the fruit components with the spirits.

Double strain

Double-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer to remove small berry seeds and ice shards for a silky finish.

Garnish & finish

Skewer one peeled lychee and place it in the glass. Add an edible flower or micro mint sprig atop for visual appeal inspired by the koi. Express an orange twist over the drink (optional) to release oils, rim the glass with the twist and drop it in. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields one cocktail. To batch, multiply ingredients proportionally and keep the maceration quantity scaled (roughly 1:1 fruit to alcohol/syrup by volume for the maceration). Adjust simple syrup and lime to taste depending on berry sweetness.