It’s Cocktail o’clock with my White Hot Guava Surprise

So we’re still in lockdown. There are days when it feels like this is the way it is forever. We’re waiting with fingers crossed to find out which of the dreaded Tiers London is put into when we come out next Wednesday. If it’s Tier Three life won’t be vastly different from the way it is now. But I suppose there is a vaccine in sight.

It’s hard not seeing friends or being able to go shopping or out to eat (three of my favourite things). Life just seems a bit empty. So I’ve been finding new ways to keep busy and productive. Like creating new cocktails.

I recently discovered a box of guava juice in the Foods of the World section in my local supermarket. I love guavas and used to eat them by the bowlful when I was growing up on the farm. Literally – they were blended and served almost like a thick soup for breakfast topped with a drizzle of cream. Seriously the yummiest of summery breakfasts.

As they are tropical fruits I immediately thought of rum as a good fit. And then as I don’t have a massively sweet tooth I needed a way to balance the natural sweetness of the guava. So I came up with the classic combo of lime and chilli that runs through so many of the Asian dishes that I love.

The world of chillis is a large and fascinating one that I realise I am only now properly exploring. Today’s two chilli ingredients are new ones. Firstly the Chile de Arbol (chilli of the tree in Spanish). Also known as rats tail chillis for obvious reasons, these are fiery little babies . So remember to deseed them before you make your chilli syrup. And wash your hands well afterwards.

I also used use some ancho chilli which are a milder, sweeter sort. Ancho means wide in Spanish and these little delicacies remind me of padron peppers of which I’ve eaten many. Today I added a powder to the syrup to add depth of flavour.

So that’s double chilli to enjoy – loving the Spanish vocabulary lesson, too.

I made the chilli syrup the day before and chilled it overnight in a jar. So when it was time to make up my potion everything was ready to go.

I started by crushing the lime slices with a wooden spoon to release as much juice as possible in the bottom of a large jug. I then poured in the chilli syrup and crushed some more for the flavours to amalgamate.

Next I added the rum and guava juice and stirred well. Then the crushed ice and I left it for about 15 minutes to chill before serving. (That was the hardest bit!) This is what it looks like from above. Tempting or what?

Here’s a printable version of the recipe. Please do give it a try, everyone I gave a taste loved it. Watch this space for more cocktail creations coming soon.

White hot guava surprise

A delightful cocktail made with rum, guava and lime with a hit of chilli

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Course: Drinks

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

For the chilli syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 8 arbol chillis deseded
• 1 tsp ancho powder

For finishing the cocktail

• 4 fresh limes sliced
• 1 cup white rum
• 2 cups guava juice
• 1 cup chilli syrup
• 2 cups crushed ice

Equipment

• Large jug
• Wooden spoon

Method

 

For the chilli syrup

1. Add the sugar and water to a pan and stir over a hot heat.
2. Add the chillis and ancho powder and stir. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 5 mins.
3. Turn off and allow to cool.
4. When cooled drain through a sieve or muslin cloth into a jar. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Finishing the cocktail

1. Add the lime slices to a large jug. Use a wooden spoon to squeeze so the juice comes out.
2. Add the chilli syrup, rum and guava juice to the jug.
3. Mix thoroughly with the wooden spoon. Add ice to chill (about two cups). Serve.