PARIS — Coconut in drinks can bring to mind hypercreamy, often thick and sweet classics made with cream of coconut or coconut milk: painkillers, piña coladas, coquitos. But coconut water in drinks is lightly savory, nutty in flavor and rich in texture, and, as an ingredient, coconut water slips seamlessly behind the bar. To put this hydrating powerhouse to use in your next cocktail, start by freezing it.
“When it’s super, super cold, it’s really refreshing,” said Blake Cole, the owner of Friends and Family in Oakland, Calif. “It’s a delicate dance.” When frozen cubes are added to drinks in place of standard ice, they play two roles — imparting both chill and flavor.
“It’s diluting, but it’s also enhancing,” Cole said. “The cocktail starts as one flavor profile, and as the coconut cube melts, it gets a little bit more robust. That sweetness and rich, velvety mouthfeel adds a whole other layer of complexity.
” The ice cubes are easy to make: Pour coconut water into trays, cover and freeze until solid. If coconut water skews too sweet for your taste, Cole recommends using half coconut water, half filtered water. Layer the resulting cubes in a tall glass and pour over a combination of (unfrozen) coconut water, tequila and grapefruit juice for a coconut-laced take on a paloma.
Or double down on the coconut in your next piña colada by blending the ice cubes with cream of coconut, rum and pineapple. Any leftover cubes can be added to a morning cold b.
