Salted Lychee-Shiso Rickey
Pearl Signal
Fragrant lychee, green shiso and fresh lime meet a quiet saline edge and fine bubbles in a pale, cooling Collins drink made for spicy small plates.
15 minutes to mix30 minutes to chill2 finished drinks
01
What you’ll need
- 10 canned lychees in syrup, drained, with 1/3 cup syrup reserved
- 8 fresh green shiso leaves, plus 2 additional leaves for garnish
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup cold filtered water
- 3/4 cup plain chilled sparkling water
- 2 clear ice spears sized for Collins glasses
02
Mix the drink
- Place two 300 ml Collins glasses in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Keep the sparkling water unopened and cold.
- Put 8 lychees, the reserved lychee syrup, 8 shiso leaves, lime juice, rice vinegar and salt in a sturdy mixing glass. Muddle firmly for about 1 minute, pressing the lychees into a rough pulp and bruising the shiso.
- Stir in the cold filtered water, cover and refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes so the shiso can perfume the base without becoming harsh.
- Double-strain the chilled mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing gently on the solids. Discard the solids and divide the smooth base evenly between the two chilled glasses.
- Add one clear ice spear to each glass, then slowly pour 3/8 cup sparkling water into each drink.
- Lift the liquid once from bottom to top with a bar spoon to combine while preserving the bubbles.
03
Serve it beautifully
The glass, temperature and first aroma all shape the drink. Set those details before the final pour.
- Use two narrow, thoroughly chilled 300 ml Collins glasses so the pale drink and fine bubbles remain visible.
- Add one clear ice spear per glass rather than crushed ice; the slower dilution keeps the lychee and shiso defined.
- Garnish each glass with one drained whole lychee and one folded shiso leaf secured on a simple pick across the rim.
- Serve very cold, ideally below 5°C, with the sparkling water added only at the last moment.
- Present immediately after garnishing so the bubbles are lively and the shiso leaf remains bright and aromatic.
At the table
What to pair with it
Chilli-crisp tofu lettuce cups with scallions and toasted sesame
Ginger-mushroom dumplings with a light rice-vinegar dipping sauce
Cold sesame-lime cucumber noodles with roasted peanuts
Estimated per drink
Nutrition at a glance
- Calories
- 80
- Fat
- 0g
- Saturated fat
- 0g
- Carbohydrates
- 20g
- Fibre
- 1g
- Sugars
- 17g
- Protein
- 1g
- Sodium
- 150mg
Each drink is fat-free and remains under an estimated 100 calories, with most sweetness coming from the lychee and its syrup.
Estimates vary with ingredient brands, substitutions and serving size.You may also like these
