Pineapple Pomelo Sago Cocktail

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Empress Gin, an awesome handcrafted gin using eight carefully selected botanicals.. All images and opinions expressed are solely my own. Thanks for supporting me and the brands that help make Jen’s Food Lab possible! 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sago
  • You can also use tiny tapioca pearls
• 1/2 cup pineapple cut into small chunks
• 1/2 cup pomelo slices
  • You can also substitute with grapefruit or another citrus as well.
• 8 ounces ginger beer
  • You can also substitute with ginger ale.
• 4 ounces Empress 1908 Gin
  • You can also easily make this non-alcoholic by taking out the gin.
• Ice

This recipe makes approximately 2 cocktails.

Instructions

1. First, let’s cook the sago or small tapioca pearls. In a small saucepan, bring a cup of water to boil. Add sago and stir. Cook on medium high heat until the centers are clear about 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, mash the pineapple and pomelo together. Basically, here we’re making it pulpy, but if you prefer a smoother cocktail, feel free to blend it.
3. In each glass, add the pineapple and pomelo mixture and the sago. Then, add ice.
4. Pour ginger beer on top.
5. Then, carefully pour the gin on top to create the beautiful layers of color.

Pineapple Pomelo Sago Cocktail is my twist on the classic pomelo sago dessert by making it a cocktail instead. This drink is a texture explosion. Just imagine crunchy pineapple, citrusy pomelo kernels popping in your mouth, slightly chewy sago, plus bubbly ginger beer. The citrusy and ginger flavors also pair well with the botanical nature of the gin too. It is also the perfect cocktail to show off this beautiful and delicious gin aka Empress 1908. Empress 1908 is micro-distilled in small batch copper-pot stills using eight botanicals: juniper, rose, coriander seed, grapefruit peel, ginger root, cinnamon bark, butterfly pea blossoms and the Fairmont Empress Blend Tea. The butterfly pea blossom imparts subtle earthy notes and an all-natural indigo hue with a stunning secret to reveal: with the addition of citrus or tonic, Empress 1908 transforms from vivid indigo blue to a delicate soft pink. Let me know in the comments below if you made this Pineapple Pomelo Sago Cocktail and how it went!

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