Ingredients
Cocktail
- 120 mlpisco
- 90 mlevaporated milk
- 3 tbspsweetened condensed milk
- 3 tbspalgarrobina syrup
- 1egg yolk
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
- plenty of ice
To finish
- ground cinnamon, to dust
- a drizzle of algarrobina
To serve
- in a chilled coupe or a tall glass
Directions
- Use the freshest eggs you can, keep them refrigerated, and use pasteurised eggs if you prefer. It emulsifies the drink, binding the spirit and the milk into something thick and velvety rather than thin.
- Start with less condensed milk than the recipe suggests and add more, since it is easy to overshoot. The pisco should be present enough to notice, and a drink where you cannot taste the spirit at all has too much milk.
- Put everything in a blender with a generous quantity of ice. Blend it for a good thirty to forty seconds until thick, smooth and pale brown.
- Blend it longer than seems necessary, since the ice needs to break down completely and the egg needs to emulsify properly. It should come out with a thick, frothy, milkshake-like texture.
- Use plenty of ice, since the drink is meant to be thick and very cold. Too little ice gives something warm, heavy and cloying.
- Pour it into a chilled glass, which keeps it cold and thick. Dust the surface with ground cinnamon, which is standard and gives the aroma as you drink.
- Serve it immediately, since it separates and thins within a few minutes. It is drunk at parties, at Christmas and at family gatherings, and it is often the drink offered to people who do not usually drink spirits.
Technique
- Algarrobina is a syrup boiled from carob-like pods of the Piura dry forest.
- The raw egg yolk emulsifies the drink and gives it body.
- Both evaporated and condensed milk are used, doing different jobs.
Substitutions
- Date syrup or dark molasses at a pinch, though the flavour differs.
- Pasteurised egg yolk, or omit it for a thinner drink.
Variations
- Made without egg, which is lighter.
- With a splash of coffee liqueur.
- Made with more pisco, for a stronger drink.
History
Built on algarrobina, the black syrup boiled from carob pods of Piura’s dry forest and long sold as a tonic.
Frequently asked questions
What is Algarrobina?
Algarrobina is a cocktail from Peru: pisco blended with carob syrup, condensed milk and egg yolk. Built on algarrobina, the black syrup boiled from carob pods of Piura’s dry forest and long sold as a tonic.
How long does Algarrobina take to make?
Algarrobina takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 2 cocktails. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Algarrobina?
Yes, within limits. Date syrup or dark molasses at a pinch, though the flavour differs. Pasteurised egg yolk, or omit it for a thinner drink.
What is the most important thing to get right in Algarrobina?
Use the freshest eggs you can, keep them refrigerated, and use pasteurised eggs if you prefer. It emulsifies the drink, binding the spirit and the milk into something thick and velvety rather than thin.
