Friday Cocktails: Agbalumo Wine with Scent Leaf Syrup

Its Friday…and the weekend’s here after all. 

Raise your glass with a wine mixer :). Cheers.

This started off so well. I took a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc off the rack. A fine bottle of Chilean wine.

And I stuffed the seeds and skin of my dearest Agbalumo into the bottle.

 Miraculously, the cork slid right back it. I left it to brew for a week and then I invited Eghosa over. My pal with the discerning palate (or sharp mouth of truth).

 By then, the wine had spent a week getting to know the nuanced flavours of Agbalumo, and had gone from clear to cloudy. Well, Eghosa might as well have spat out at the first mouthful. 

‘Ah, this na kanda’, or something along those lines, meaning ‘This is the skin I taste’, with his nose twisted.

If you are familiar with agbalumo, you’d know that the skin is quite ‘resinous’ and ‘woody’ almost – very different in taste from the sweet and tart flesh.

Well, well, what a compliment. 

After a glass or two, we decided that it tasted like ‘root’. Like native drink mixes concocted with herbs and roots. To me, it had a distinct ‘bitters’ flavour. A bit like the new favourite – Orijin, a Nigerian concoction of bitters and herbs and local spices.

Because we couldn’t really stomach the Agbalumo wine the way it was, I mixed it up with some fragrant scent leaf & lemongrass syrup. And topped with ice.

That made it drinkable, somewhat interesting. You’d think this ‘middle-of-the-road’ experience would knock me off. Not quite.

Next time though, I’m going to try the flesh – I know the taste profile and look will change and I’m excited.

 Enjoy your weekend. 

Peace & Love.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Friday Cocktails: Agbalumo Wine with Scent Leaf Syrup – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]