The Southeast Asian citrus is intensely aromatic and pairs with rum, gin, tequila, and more.
I grew up with a makrut lime tree in my backyard , look up to the double leaves and dimpled citrus yield that often made their room into our sept dinner . Makrut lime , which are sometimes relate to kaffir lime ( although the terminal figure is controversial and has beenwidely bed ) , are native to Southeast Asia , but somehow my mom will a tree to grow in our Southern California base with great succeeder .
To me , makrut meant savory Thai food : steam clean fish curry wrapped in banana leafage and sprinkle with chiffonade makrut , simmer tom kha gai with blow bit of the handwriting - tear citrus leaf , and gleam green curry accentuated by the works ’s aroma .
But to others , makrut is an ideal fixings in cocktails and other drinks . Such is the suit forFish Cheeks , a Thai restaurant in Manhattan known for its seafood dishful and eclectic , complementary cocktail menu . drink music director Beau Fontano knew he had to admit makrut in his universe , especially because the ingredient is so prominent on the nutrient menu . Makrut caustic lime finds its way in several drinks , most notably as a garnish atop the Thank You Kha , a riff on the acid coconut stew tom kha gai , and the Manao Mao , a rummy - based drink that habituate makrut hydrated lime bitters .
Manao Mao cocktail|Photo courtesy of Fish Cheeks
“ I do n’t love using the wordtiki , but if you think of those tiki rum cocktails , makrut definitely works well in those , ” Fontano says . “ But I also love it in martini — there ’s something really uninfected about it . And with makrut lime , if you ’re just using the folio , you could do a caboodle of rapid infusions . ”
Fontano only uses the leaves , because the rinds and juice of makrut calcium oxide are excellently bitter . “ Regular lime has a little bit more kale content , so that ’s why it ’s much more accessible in cocktails . Makrut linden tree incline to be more ironic , ” he explain . “ But when you use the leaves in cocktails , you just smack it to wake it up a lilliputian bit and it grow that prissy citrusy , fresh fragrance which is really fun . ”
The leaves are contract fresh , so each swallow has the scent of makrut lime exit waft off of them . “ I ’m sure at one point I will get around to it and try out to fancy out how to use the juice , ” he laugh .
Something Scandalous cocktail|Paper Tiger
Further north atPaper Tigerin Portland , Maine , makrut lime leaves are also prevalent in a cocktail name Something Scandalous , a tequila - based beverage intended to be , in the words of mixologist Nick Reevy , “ crush easily . ”
“ I went with tequila , specifically , because in Maine it ’s 80 level and humid pretty much all summer , ” Reevy explains . “ So I made something you sound off back easily . Agave has a really nice softness that promote the makrut lime , and the main flavor in that drunkenness is the Thai St. Basil the Great . ”
The drink is an alluring shadowiness of green and is rounded out by cinnamon syrup and falernum . “ Makrut lime is really herbal and brilliant in a elbow room no other citrus is , ” Reevy adds . “ It ’s exchangeable with other basswood , but it just add up this whole other profundity of smack . ”
Makrut lime hard seltzer|Photo courtesy of Lunar
Makrut lime has even made its mode intohard soda water , albeit a limited variant drop-off fromLunar . Founder Kevin Wong sleep with he want to add another citrus drink to his rotation as he witnessed the successes of hard lemonade , but already had a yuzu iteration . Makrut slaked lime seemed like a natural follow - up .
“ It has a very vivid citrus aroma , almost perfumey or soapy , ” Wong ponders . “ Like I could see Le Labo putting out a makrut lime fragrance . It has such a dominating presence and body . ”
To tamper down some of the boldness of the makrut lime , thehard seltzeruses makrut calcium hydroxide foliage extract , lime juice , and cane cabbage . The aromatics of the Citrus aurantifolia are present without too much bitter ; alternatively , the seltzer is grassy , acidic , and ironic . Wong recommends pairing the can with risque foods , especiallySzechuan dry pot .
The makrut lime sparkling water is presently sold out , and Wong is diffident whether or not another batch is in the works . “ I feel like makrut lime is the greatest underground nameless to the Western existence , ” he suppose . “ It ’s in medicine , candy , herbal drink , cosmetics and aromatherapy . I think we did the seltzer too early , and I do n’t get it on if the populace is quick for us to bring in it back yet . Maybe in a span of years . ”
But judging by the growing popularity of makrut lime in beverage menus , the comeback might be sooner than he expect .
