Ladies and Gentlemen, it is Mixology Monday and as already announced it is the first real collaboration of Chef Emil and me.

If you read the “pre consideration” post, you saw, that I paired a chai tea with cognac in the Remy Martin Style Masters ’05. Funny thing now is, that Emil has chosen again a tea thing dessert for the food part of the pairing. And the dish sounds (at first sight) very simple:

1. Lemon Iced Tea
   Cinnamon, clementine & star anise infused chamomile tea jelly with frozen lemon foam.
   

Now the drink is still missing. I really put my thinking cap on, to create something creative. I had still a gallon of my hibiscus-gin infusion (roselle); the flavors are absolutely unusual, and the color is just stunning dark red...

Pour all ingredients into a pre chilled and ice cube filled Boston glass.
Shake virtuously and strain into a pre chilled cocktail saucer.

This cocktail has a surprising tart edge! It is not only the lemon juice but the hibiscus infusion which delivers a lot of acidity. I’ve added quite a lot of simple syrup to balance this out and the egg white is helping to mellow the taste, too!
You can enjoy gin flavors as well as the floral acidity of the roselle - it is a surprising unusual, yet complex drink!

1. Hibiscus-Gin Infusion
   3 bottles    Bombay Sapphire
   2 bottles    Vodka (I took Absolut)
   1 piece      Vanilla Bean
   100 gram   Dried Hibiscus Flowers (Roselle)
   

2. Pour vodka and gin together and put a whole vanilla bean and hibiscus into it.
   Let Hibiscus infuse for not longer than 48 hours - the vanilla bean can be
   left in the jar for 10 days.
   

How does it pairs together? Very well - may be it is a bit late for this drink (especially for the US and Europe) - as this combination is more a late summer refreshment! However here in Dubai it is just perfect, as temperatures are dropping down to enjoyable terrace conditions - it is still very warm but no more as freakin’  uncomfortable hot as it was over the summer!

So you eat this refreshing light and airy parfait and the tea jelly and take a sip from this deep red, foamy, tart drink... a perfect treat.

It would be also absolute thinkable as pre dinner drink and amuse bouche - as both, drink and snack prepares the stomach for a gentle dinner...

I was absolutely blown away of his Chicken in an Egg - Chicken confit topped with warm truffled potato foam and served with a transparent crispy strip of chicken skin!

Due to the truffle aroma, this would go perfectly with a cocktail mixed with a more pungent spirit like aged rum or rye.

But this is a different story to be told on a later occasion!

Any comments?