Fig Poppa Recipe

Steep 1 tablespoon fresh or dried borage flowers/leaves in 120 ml hot water for 5–7 minutes to make a concentrated tea. Strain and chill until cold. Measure 0.5 oz for the cocktail and reserve the rest for another drink.

Combine base ingredients

In a cocktail shaker add 2 oz Sweet Gwendoline Gin, 0.75 oz Amass Riverine, 0.5 oz Spanish vermouth, 0.5 oz chilled borage tea, 0.5 oz lime cordial, 0.5 tablespoon fig preserve, 0.25 oz simple syrup and 0.25 oz fresh lime juice.

Add egg white (optional)

If you want a silky froth, add 0.5 egg white (you can use a pasteurized egg white).

Dry shake

Without ice, dry-shake the mixture vigorously for 15–20 seconds to emulsify the fig and egg white and build foam.

Wet shake

Add 1 cup of ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well-chilled and the exterior of the shaker is frosty.

Double strain & serve

Double-strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass to remove small ice chips and any fig solids. This yields a clean texture and a stable foam.

Garnish

Float a small borage leaf or a thin fig wedge on the foam. Optionally, top with a dehydrated fig or a few microborage leaves for aroma.

If fig preserve is very thick, dissolve it first with the simple syrup or warm a spoonful then cool before adding. Adjust sweetness to taste; lime cordial already adds sweetness and acidity, so reduce simple syrup if needed. For a vegan foam, substitute aquafaba (chickpea brine) 0.75 oz for the egg white and increase dry-shake time.