If you have had tiki cocktails before, you would probably have tasted orgeat syrup without knowing it. What is ‘orgeat’ (or-zhat) syrup? It is a syrup made with either barley or almonds and orange flower water or rose water.

The beauty of orgeat syrup is its contrasting character that allows multiple layers of flavours to still shine through. Take East & Zest as the first drink with a clean palate, you get to taste the different layers of the flavours from this cocktail.

The sweetness from the pineapple juice and its tropical note, the nutty and oily (almost chewy texture) from the orgeat and fragrant lychee on the nose. The citrus from the lemon juice acts like a connector that kick starts your palate again for the next sip when the texture of the pineapple builds up. Citrus works very well with orgeat in this manner, that’s why the syrup is often used in tiki cocktails that are tropical and citrusy.

Orgeat can be a challenge to use as it can lift or kill the taste of a cocktail. In East & Zest, the balance in the ratio allocated for each ingredient has highlighted the nutty chewy texture of the orgeat. The oil combines the other components of the drink to let the fragrance of the lychee to come through on the nose.

Orgeat is an emulsion, because of the fat from the almonds. The oil and water don’t mix so the clear separation of the two components will become visible after sitting in the bottle for a while. Unlike a tiki cocktail, East & Zest uses vodka instead of rum, allowing the other ingredients more room to shine.

East & Zest
Belvedere Vodka
Orgeat Syrup
Lychee
Pineapple Juice
Lemon Juice
RM45.30 nett