Narciso Recipe

Muddle aromatics

In a mixing glass, gently muddle the mentuccia leaves (6 leaves) and one fennel frond with the mandarin liqueur (0.5 oz) and simple syrup (0.25 oz). Press just enough to release oils and aroma — avoid over-muddling which makes bitter green notes.

Combine base

Add Tanqueray Ten gin (2 oz), fresh lemon juice (0.5 oz) and, if using, 1/2 egg white to the mixing glass. Add the thyme sprig (leave the top of the sprig exposed so it doesn’t get shredded).

Dry shake

If using egg white, perform a dry shake (no ice) vigorously for 12–15 seconds to emulsify and build a silky texture.

Wet shake

Add ice (enough to fill shaker about two-thirds; roughly 1 cup) and shake hard for 12–18 seconds until the shaker is well-chilled and slightly frosted.

Double strain

Double-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove muddled herb bits and ice shards.

Prepare concentrated tea

Brew butterfly pea flower tea strong: steep 1.5–2 g flowers in 60 ml just-off-boil water for 8–10 minutes to get a vivid blue concentrate. Cool to room temperature. If the tea is cooling slowly, refrigerate briefly; the foam works best when not hot.

Aromatize and sweeten

To the 60 ml concentrate, add bergamot oil or hydrosol (2 tsp) and sugar (1 tsp) if desired. Stir until dissolved. Taste: the bergamot should be delicate and floral, not overpowering.

Make foam

Combine the tea mixture with 1/2 tsp lecithin in a small container. Using an immersion blender, blend the surface until a stable airy foam forms (about 20–45 seconds) and allow it to settle to a firm microfoam. If using egg white as alternative, dry shake the egg white and tea mixture vigorously, then shake with ice and fine-strain to produce a foam layer.

Top the cocktail

Gently spoon or pour a 1–1.5 cm layer of the butterfly-pea bergamot foam atop the strained cocktail in the glass. The blue foam will sit as an 'aria' above the drink and may tint edges slightly.

Place a thin mandarin wheel or twist on the rim or floated at the foam edge. Lay a small thyme sprig across the foam and scatter a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of dried butterfly pea petals or rest a small fennel frond on top for visual and aromatic detail.

Serve immediately: present the cocktail so the guest experiences the bergamot-scented foam first, then lift the glass to sip. Suggest sipping through the foam to combine the floral bergamot and butterfly-pea aroma with the gin and herb-infused base.