Mushrooms

Love them or hate them, mushrooms appear in cuisines worldwide. Each variety offers a distinctive flavor and texture. Shiitake mushrooms show up in many Asian dishes, while the earthy porcini shines in pasta recipes. Non-meat eaters revel in the meaty character of portabellos, while Beef Wellington wouldn’t be the same without duxelles, finely diced mushrooms sautéed with shallots, onions, garlic, and herbs. Any way you slice them, mushrooms have umami, that amorphous flavor characteristic that adds depth and complexity to foods.

In the bar world, the earthy quality of mushrooms inspires bartenders in a variety of ways. At Birds & Bees in downtown Los Angeles, bar manager Jake Larowe uses lactobacillusfermented mushroom juice in concert with whiskey and a side of chocolate-dipped dried mushrooms. Momofuku’s bartenders steam-infuse gin with cremini mushrooms. And at MiniBar, Jeremy Allen garnishes a Martini riff with a pickled mushroom.

LE FETTE COW

Recipe courtesy of Jeremy Allen

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Black Cow Pure

Milk Vodka

½ oz. dry vermouth

4 bar spoons pickle juice Pickled mushroom (for garnish)

PREPARATION

Stir pickle juice, vermouth, and vodka until chilled. Serve up in a coupe-style glass. Garnish with a pickled mushroom.

UMAMI SOUR

Recipe courtesy of Momofuku

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ oz. cremini mushroom infused Fords Gin*

¾ oz. lemon juice

¾ oz. simple syrup

½ oz. Velvet Falernum

½ oz. egg white

1 gram shaved black truffles (for garnish)

PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients, except shaved black truffle, in a cocktail shaker and shake without ice for 10 seconds. Add ice to the shaker and shake for ten additional seconds. Strain over ice in a rocks glass. Shave one gram of black truffle on top as garnish.

*Cremini mushroom infused Fords gin: Combine 1 bottle of Fords Gin with half a quart of cremini mushrooms. Let infuse for 48 hours. Strain out mushrooms and store gin.