It's been over a year since most of us got together, but when we finally did, it felt like no time had passed at all from when we were living together back in Melbourne. Has it really been a year? We had Chinese food at Por Kee, and then bounced back to my place for drinks.
I brought out several of my recently acquired liquors, including a couple of vodkas from my recent trip, and went in a broad direction of what we thought would make a nice cocktail. Like most things in life, there were more pitfalls than actual Eureka! moments, but at the end of the day, when everybody's more than a little tipsy, somehow, those pitfalls ain't looking all that significant after all*.
We opted for a citrus-flavoured cocktail, as I had several fresh limes on hand. But over the course of the evening, as more limes keep turning up, it finally begged the question from my friends: where are all these limes coming from?
Well, whenever Chinese New Year comes around, part of my family tradition involves buying bushes of mandarin plants to add a splash of bright colours to the gardens, and afterwards, we usually transplant them right into the plot of land, which in a tropical climate, start producing calamansi (Philippine lime). They lose most of their bright orange colouring, and usually stay green, though some do turn develop lighter shades of yellow.
TY, who made the drink, calls this his Mandarin Oriental, in an ode to the origin of these tropical limes.
Mandarin Oriental Cocktail
Recipe by Ty Lee
INGREDIENTS
1 shot cointreau
1/2 shot lime (about 2 limes)
2 shots tonic water
2 mint leaves, optional
STEPS
1. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, cointreau and the lime juice. Shake until well-chilled.
2. In a prepared glass, pour in the tonic water. Add the lime juice mixture to the tonic water and combine.
3. Garnish with mint leaves, if using. Serve immediately
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