Treat yourself to Birch’s guavatini

Now that guavas are in season throughout the Southland, mixologist Gabriela Mlynarczyk has added her signature guavatini back to the cocktail menu at Birch. She combines Manzanilla sherry, verjus and orange bitters with equal parts gin and a fruity guava consommé. Using the white-, pink- and orange-fleshed guavas she buys from Garcia’s Organic Farms, Mlynarczyk sweats the fruit in sugar water to extract the flavor. The result is a guava-infused simple syrup that is “a beautiful light, refreshing tropical drink.”

Guavatini

Ingredients

1½ oz Guava Consommé (recipe below)

1½ oz gin (vodka or white rum are also good substitutes)

1 oz Manzanilla sherry

1 oz verjus

3 dashes Miracle Mile orange bitters

10 ice cubes

Orange twist, for garnish

Equipment

A mixing glass

A martini or coupe glass, chilled

Instructions

In a mixing glass, combine the Guava Consommé, gin, Manzanilla sherry, verjus and orange bitters with the ice cubes. Stir for 10 seconds and strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. To finish, garnish with an orange twist rubbed along the rim of your glass.

GUAVA CONSOMMÉ

Yield: A pound of guavas makes about 30 to 32 ounces of consommé

Ingredients

2 cups fresh guavas, 1-inch dice

4 cups water

2 cups organic cane sugar

A vanilla bean pod, scored (optional)

Instructions

Sweat the guavas: Place the diced guavas, water, sugar and vanilla bean in a stainless steel mixing bowl. Cover securely with plastic wrap, making sure there are no gaps. Using a double-boiler technique, set the plastic-wrapped bowl over a large pan that is half-filled with water. Bring the water in the pan to a boil and then reduce to a medium simmer for 1½ hours.

Once done, strain the contents of the bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Set the guava pieces aside. (You can purée the guavas to use in smoothies, pies, etc.)

To store: Transfer the Guava Consommé to an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator before serving.