Other Drinks
20130716gommegeneric.jpg

[Photo: Jessica Leibowitz]

Gomme syrup is a classic cocktail ingredient used instead of simple syrup to give drinks a light froth and velvety mouthfeel. In this updated version, I cut down the gum arabic proportion to make the recipe a little cheaper for the home bartender.

Notes: Powdered egg white is also sold as albumin powder. Feel free to substitute in one egg white (removing 20 milliliters of water) for the egg white powder. While you could design this recipe to be completely devoid of gum arabic, I leave some in because gum arabic has a unique and pleasant flavor. Measuring 0.24 g of xanthan is obviously kind of annoying. The best thing to do is use just less than a 1/8 tsp measure, make the syrup, then add more if you want it thicker. Xanthan dissolves readily at room temperature with minimal clumps.

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About This Recipe

Yield: makes 2 cups
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
Special equipment: gram scale

Ingredients

  • 220 grams water (about 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon)
  • 20 grams gum arabic (about 4 teaspoons)
  • 10 grams egg white powder (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 0.24 grams xanthan gum (about 1/16 teaspoon)
  • 226 grams sugar (about 10 tablespoons)

Procedures

  1. In a medium pot, heat water until simmering over medium high heat. Whisk in gum arabic and xanthan gum and remove from heat. Let cool to just warmer than room temperature, then whisk in sugar and egg white powder. Refrigerate and allow to rest until lightly thickened, 2 to 3 hours. Store in the refrigerator and use within 1 week.