Closed-Loop Gimlet

Oleo-saccharum is literally oily sugar. The sugar extracts the oil found in citrus peel and the resulting liquid makes a flavorful addition to cocktails. Photo by Sean Kelly Conway.

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

For orange peel oleo-saccharum

4 oranges

1 cup sugar

For cocktail

1-1/2 ounces gin

1-1/2 ounces lemon juice

1/2 ounce orange juice

1 ounce orange peel oleo-saccharum

1/2 ounce elderflower liqueur

About this recipe

Learn to use all of an ingredient. Before juicing citrus fruit, peel it and make an oleo-saccharum and candied peel. This is the “closed-loop” style of bartending that's gaining popularity in the craft industry. If you have more uses for an ingredient, you find more creative ways to implement them.

Instructions

To make the orange peel oleo-saccharum: Remove zest from oranges with a vegetable peeler, leaving as much of the white pith on the oranges as possible. Mix peel with sugar in a medium bowl and mash mixture with a muddler or heavy spoon. Cover and let sit at least three hours and up to one day. Strain into jar, pressing on peels to extract as much oil as possible. Use zest to make candied peels. Keep oleo-saccharum in refrigerator for up to a week.

To make the cocktail: Add ingredients to a shaker filled with ice, shake and double strain in a coupe glass. Garnish with a candied orange or lemon peel.