I was really excited about this Sichuan Sour cocktail recipe when I saw it. We love Sichuan peppercorns. One of the dishes I make that my family most asks for is this Crispy Chili Chicken, which is full of Sichuan pepper. I wasn’t sure how this would work in a cocktail, but knew I wanted to try it. Sichuan pepper has a tingling, slightly numbing effect on the mouth, which is addicting.
It actually pairs amazingly well with whiskey and lemon and my husband and two sons and I all agreed this was one of the best cocktails we’ve had lately. You can use whole peppercorns or you can use already ground peppercorn powder, which I did. This recipe also uses Chinese five spice powder, which you can get here. This recipe also uses egg white for foam. You can leave this off if you prefer, or use this cocktail foamer, which is what I usually use for cocktails with foam.
This drink is easy to make, and definitely not boring. I ended up adding a little sprinkle of Sichuan pepper powder to the top of our drinks because we felt the drink could have a bit more. You can try it first before doing that if you are new to Sichuan peppercorns.
Sichuan Sour Cocktail
Ingredients
- 2 oz whiskey
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1/4 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder more to taste (or use 1/2 tsp of peppercorns to muddle)
- 1/8 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
- 1 egg white or use foamer
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Instructions
- If using peppercorns, not powder, muddle the peppercorns with the whiskey, smashing them a bit to get the flavor out. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a cocktail shaker. Add the whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup, peppercorn powder if using, 5 spice powder and bitters to a cocktail shaker. Shake well. Add the foamer or egg white and shake vigorously until you have foam. Add the ice and shake again. Serve in a whiskey glass with ice. Top with extra peppercorn powder if you desire.