Hey Mambo! Assume Nothing Drink Recipe

By Asha Wells

“Assume Nothing!” A mantra for The Crown as we worked towards opening our doors in March of 2019, the phrase became a Menu section, encouraging our visitors to drop their preconceptions and be open to new and delicious experiences. And now it’s the title of a drink recipe series, for you to recreate at home. Here’s to a year of assuming nothing!

I suppose it comes as no surprise that after months spent working in a kitchen in southern Italy, that I would develop a taste for the country’s tradition of amaretto. Nutty, warming and complex, what’s not to like? Hey Mambo! Is a playful take on the classic Italian soda, adding the Italian heritage of espresso to house made amaretto & raspberry soda, and topping with rich cream and raspberry dust. Sounds like magic, no?  

Hey Mambo! Recipe:

Ingredients 

• 85g dried apricots
• 1cup white sugar
• 1cup turbinado sugar
• 1.5pt water
• 10g apricot seeds
• 20g raw almonds
• 3g fennel
• 2g mahlab
• 2 allspice
• 1 cardamom pod
• .2g ground nutmeg
• 1/2tsp vanilla extract
• 170g raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

• Allow apricots to soak in water for at least 15 minutes or while you caramelize the sugar. 
• Add white sugar to a saucepan and turn heat to medium for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, till all sugar has melted, and the color is caramel. 
• In a separate pan, start a 1 to 1 simple syrup with your turbinado sugar and 1 cup water. 
• Reduce caramel to low heat slowly ladle hot simple syrup into caramel while stirring to integrate. 
• Once combined, remove from heat and allow to cool.
• In mortar and pestle, crush apricot seeds and almonds, add to a frying pan 
• In mortar and pestle, crush fennel, mahlab, allspice, cardamom and nutmeg 
• Stirring constantly, toast apricot seeds and almonds over medium heat till fragrant, careful not to burn, turn off heat, add those to a pot 
• In the hot pan (no additional heat) delicately toast the spices, stirring constantly, only till fragrant (less than a minute), add those to pot with the nuts 
• Strain the water from the apricots, add them to your nuts & spices pot, along with 1pint of hot water, bring to a boil, cover and heat over medium heat (5) for 15 minutes. 
• Stir in raspberries, cover and heat over medium heat for 10 minutes. 
• Remove from heat, using a fine mesh strainer, lined with cheesecloth, strain the still-hot fruit liquid into the caramel pot, squeeze any remaining liquid from the fruit, and stir to combine with the caramel. 
• Once steam has ceased, add vanilla extract 

Assembly 

• In a high ball glass, with as much ice as possible, fill halfway with sparkling water. 
• Add 50g syrup, and pour in double shot of espresso, stir. 
• Gently pour 50g half & half, or non-dairy cream on top of ice. 
• Sift 1tsp raspberry powder on the surface of the drink. 
• Enjoy! 

Check out the Assume Nothing series, and if you are in the Bay Area, stop by The Crown to taste the seasonal signature beverage.