Lychee Cocktail with Raspberry Caviar (Basic Spherification)

A vodka-lychee cocktail topped with basic-spherification raspberry caviar pearls made with sodium alginate and calcium lactate.

⏱️ Prep: 45 min🍳 Cook: 0 min

Nutrition

per per 300 g portion

180

Calories

Protein

22g

Carbs

Fat

400 ml		Lychee syrup (from canned lychees)
300 ml		Vodka
1/4 tsp	1.3 ml	Xanthan gum
—		Sugar syrup or caster sugar (extra, if needed)
340 g		Fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries
4-6 tbsp	60–90 ml	White sugar
100 ml		Distilled water (for raspberry solution)
2 g		Sodium alginate
4 cups	960 ml	Distilled water (for calcium bath)
5 g		Calcium lactate

Drain the lychees from the can; set aside to garnish the drink later.
Measure 400 mL (13.5 fl oz) of the lychee syrup and mix it with the vodka.
Sprinkle in the xanthan gum and blend (with a blender or immersion blender) in pulses for about 3 minutes, until completely dissolved and the mixture has thickened. Pour into a bottle or jug, cover, and chill overnight.

Pulse the raspberries with 6 tbsp of sugar until liquefied; strain to remove the seeds.
Measure 150 mL (5.1 fl oz) of the raspberry puree and mix it with 100 mL (3.3 fl oz) of distilled water.
Sprinkle in the sodium alginate and blend intermittently for about 10 minutes until fully dissolved.
Cover and let rest in the fridge for about an hour before use.

Stir the calcium lactate into 4 cups (about 1 L) of distilled water until dissolved.
Set aside, covered, for about 15 minutes or more.

Set up two bowls: one with the calcium bath, one with clean distilled water.
Stir the raspberry solution gently, then use a pipette to drop it into the calcium bath one small drop at a time, from about an inch above the surface. Swirl gently with a strainer spoon and leave for about 1 minute.
Strain the caviar out of the calcium bath, transfer to the water bath, then into the serving glasses.
Use the caviar within about 15 minutes, after which it fully gels and loses its liquid center.
Once each glass has 1-2 tbsp of caviar (1 tbsp for shot glasses), top with the lychee cocktail suspension.
Serve immediately, garnished with lychee and raspberry.

Without sodium alginate or calcium lactate, an easy alternative: freeze fresh raspberries until solid, break them into drupelets, and keep frozen until needed.
Make the lychee suspension with xanthan gum as above, place about 1 tbsp of frozen raspberry drupelets in a shot glass, top with the lychee suspension, and serve immediately.