You may not have heard of a Shangri-La Sour before. I certainly hadn’t. And a quick google search reveals they are a house special at Auckland’s Mekong Baby restaurant, in Ponsonby.
Don’t fear! It’s deliciousness can be experienced by you at home in a matter of minutes.
Starring one of my favourite alcoholic beverages, plum wine, this drink had me at my first sip. If you’re unfamiliar with plum wine, which makes up the base of the Shangri-La Sour, my personal recommendation is Choya. It’s rich and sweet, and is delicious straight over a hunk of ice – much like you’d drink a whiskey. Plum wines are becoming easier to find – many Asian supermarkets and even some mainstream liquor stores now carry Choya – although if you live in a small town, you may need to sort something out. You won’t regret it.
Its partner in this delicious crime – Chambord – may also be a little hard to find, given how infrequently it is used. Chambord is a liqueur made from red and black raspberries, vanilla, citrus peel, honey, and cognac. I suppose you could substitute in any raspberry liqueur and brandy, but that’s not the story we’re telling you tonight.
Recipe
2 parts Umeshu Plum wine
1 part Chambord
1 part lemon juice
Ice, crushed
Lemon garnish
Put all into a shaker, shake for 10 seconds.
Add ice in, shake for another 10 seconds
Strain into glass (with ice or without)
Garnish with lemon.
Enjoy.
Repeat
You’ll enjoy this if you like:
Sweet and sour
Fruity drinks
