Brendan Pang’s last cocktail (the Chamomile Mule) was a big hit, so, naturally, we couldn’t let him go without getting his help with one more. This time, it’s a delicious sour variation using lychee (oooh lychee) and wine – the Blushed Lychee Sour. We’re big fans of Brendan around these parts. He appeared on MasterChef seasons 10 AND 12, and is a genius cook, author, content creator and has his own line of frozen dumplings. Many fingers, many pies, as they say. So, you can imagine how stoked we are to have him help us out once more with our next cocktail, the Blushed Lychee Sour.
“I am obsessed with the flavour of lychee, but I do know it can be quite strong for people,” says Brendan. The Blushed Lychee Sour is a complex mix of vodka, lychee liqueur, lemon juice, egg white and orange wine. “It's such a wonderful mix of sweet and floral, but also energetic and fragrant.” The addition of orange wine – the style of white wine that gets made with a little more skin contact to build colour and texture – and tart fresh lemon juice balances out those lychee flavours, creating a well-rounded and interesting drink.
Brendan reckons it's a great pre-dinner cocktail, especially for an Asian-inspired dinner party. “It’s also so easy to put together and not something many people would try for themselves at home,” he says. Serve it up with your starters – Brendan suggests some refreshing flavours like Japanese-inspired ceviche or crystal prawn dumplings. Hey, Brendan, where’s our invite?