Chico Blanco’s Fantasia tastes like...
Butterfly pea flower, black peppercorns, and lemon peel infused Roku gin with lemongrass simple syrup
For the past nine months, I have been really into Spanish pop. I discovered Chico Blanco’s Fantasia in December of last year and have been enamored with the artist since. His house-inspired ambient pop is catchy, sonically dynamic, and in the case of Fantasia, the combination of hazy synth and sad lyrics hits the sweet spot between vibey and just plain sad. The lethargic hum of the first half of the song immediately transported me to the feeling of being sticky and sweaty in the summer despite first listening to this song in the dead of mid-Atlantic winter. Fantasia reminded me of sitting barefoot on the brushy, sandy edges of a lake, sweltering in the humidity while the sun beams on your face. The music video follows CB from pool water into dense greenery and eventually into a half-underwater cave while he sings of his exploding chest and dissipating fantasies.
I listened to this song many, many times and tried to connect the images and feelings it brought to mind with specific ingredients. I started with my alcohol of choice, gin. Roku gin is one of my favorites— It's clean, floral, and not too harsh which makes it a nice base for citrus and pepper infusion. Adding additional botanicals to this gin is kind of a nod at the complex but coherent sounds that Chico Blanco mixes. Fantasia makes me feel a kind of bittersweet nostalgia that needs to be washed away by something cold, sweet, and fresh. I chose to pair this infused gin with a lemongrass syrup because lemongrass has a particular tangy-earthy-citrusy quality that is refreshing, nicely fragrant, and of course, grassy. In the process of coming up with this recipe, I learned that butterfly pea flower tea is often brewed with dried lemongrass. The combination of gin and the earthy lemongrass syrup come together nicely and subtly in this recipe.
Notes on butterfly pea flower
Butterfly Pea flowers impart an intense dark blue color onto clear liquids. With the addition of acid, the intense blue mellows out to a progressively lighter purple. Often brewed in tea, the dried buds are thought to have anti-inflammatory properties in addition to promoting healthy skin and hair. Which clearly makes them a perfect accompaniment to liquor.
I got my butterfly pea flowers from Cambridge Naturals. If you are in the Boston area that might be an accessible place for you to purchase this. I am not sure how accessible blue pea flowers are elsewhere but you may be likely to find a natural foods store near you or a local grocer that has a large tea assortment. If you can’t find the flowers dried or in tea at grocers or wherever else you shop, consider substituting butterfly pea with hibiscus flowers. Though, hibiscus flowers will give off a more tart flavor.
Infusion
Roku gin is distilled with seasonal botanicals— my bottle in particular is distilled with yuzu peel, cherry blossom, and sansho pepper. The specific combination of botanicals your gin has depends on the brand, and of course your own preference. I chose a citrusy-floral gin but you could also use something like a London dry gin that’s heavy on the piney juniper berries, or anything else that you might enjoy.
To bring out the citrus and pepper notes I soaked 3/4 cup of gin with the peel of half of a lemon and 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns. I then added a few pinches of butterfly pea flowers— about 8 to 10 dried buds— into a clean glass container with the gin, lemon peel, and black peppercorns.
I let it infuse for 48 hours in a cool and dry place away from direct sunlight. I recommend infusing at room temperature and then chilling the gin once you strain the peppercorns, peels, and pea flowers out.
Lemongrass syrup
In a saucepan on medium-low add 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup cool water
Halve 4 lemongrass stalks (8 pieces total) and add to sugar and water mixture
Cook simple syrup stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes on medium-low until sugar is dissolved and syrup is lightly fragrant.
Turn off the burner and let cool for 10 minutes. Transfer to a glass container or bowl and let chill in the fridge for another 15 minutes.
Preparation
This recipe serves 4 people
In a cocktail shaker or mason jar, add a few cubes of ice, 6 shots of chilled infused gin, and 3 tbsp of syrup to start (adjust the amount to desired sweetness as usual). Shake to mix.
In four glasses with ice cubes, pour an even amount of cocktail into each glass. Add a squeeze from half a lemon. The liquid will get progressively lighter and more purple when you add more acid.
Top off the drinks with sparkling water or tonic water to taste. Add additional lemon or gin if desired.
Photos:
The next few newsletters are special ones. I look forward to sharing them with you. :)
*Kar