Lilac Tide

01

What you’ll need

• 220 g purple-fleshed sweet potato, peeled, with two paper-thin crescents reserved for garnish
• 300 mL pure coconut water, chilled and verified free of added flavours or alcohol
• 120 mL unsweetened light coconut milk from a certified vegan product, chilled
• 45 mL freshly squeezed lime juice, finely strained
• 30 mL pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon pure alcohol-free vanilla bean powder
• 1 small pinch fine sea salt
• 2 large clear ice cubes, for serving
• Ice cubes, for chilling the mixing tins
• 2 narrow lime-zest ribbons, for garnish

02

Mix the drink

1. Heat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Arrange the two paper-thin reserved sweet potato crescents on parchment and cover them with a second sheet of parchment and a light baking tray. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, checking after 12 minutes, until dry and crisp at the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack.
2. Cut the remaining sweet potato into 2 cm cubes. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes, until completely tender when pierced. Spread the cubes on a plate and cool for 10 minutes.
3. Blend the cooled sweet potato with the chilled coconut water for 60 seconds, until perfectly smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug, pressing gently; measure 360 mL of the silky base and discard any excess or coarse fibre.
4. Whisk the coconut milk, strained lime juice, maple syrup, grated ginger, alcohol-free vanilla bean powder and sea salt into the sweet potato base. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until thoroughly cold.
5. Fill one mixing tin halfway with ice. Pour the chilled base into a second tin, then roll the drink between the two tins in six slow, controlled passes. This chills and lightly aerates the cooler without creating the dense foam of a hard shake.
6. Fine-strain the drink into the prepared cups over the large ice cubes, dividing it evenly. Give each cup one gentle stir to keep the coconut and sweet potato fully integrated.