The Chatpata Fizz
Thyme Bar
New York City
Creator: Jeremy LaBlanche, head bartender
Ingredients: Mezcal, pandan syrup, lime and Chatpata Home Made Soda with Jasmin, green Tabasco, wasabi and salt. Pine-lavander smoke and deep-fried salmon skin as garnish.
$24
At the speakeasy Thyme Bar in New York City, a cocktail menu is built around the “floriography,” or the language of flowers and botanicals through art. This gorgeous cocktail is based around chapata, a term for a savory snack from India with contrasting flavors to create umami.
In this case, the cocktail uses a jasmine tea soda spiked with Tabasco, smoky salt and wasabi, said LaBlanche, which is mixed with lime juice, the Asian syrup pandan and mezcal for another layer of smokiness.
It’s served in a terrarium, decorated with fake moss, and the drink is served in a flower vase with three parts to it. The bottom and middle part contain the cocktail, but the top bowl contains lavender and pine, into which some dry ice is placed to create an aroma to complement the beverage.
“The complexity is that we garnish with deep fried salmon skin, which is also smoked,” said LaBlanche. “It’s crunchy and salty and peppery and smoky. We always recommend for the guest to have a bite and then a sip of drink.”