Tricks of the Trade - with Mariena Mercer Boarini

Making Cham-Feign Foams

WITH BARTENDER MARIENA MERCER BOARINI

Named “Top Bartender in Las Vegas” and one of the “Top 10 Female Bartenders in the World,” Mariena Mercer Boarini is a cocktail alchemist, known for her multi-sensory experiences complete with cham-feign foams, showstopping edible garnishes, and liquid nitrogen flourishes.

Mariena experiments with molecular mixology and the like to up the ante on her garnishing game. “I always look for a multi-sensory experience,” she says. “I like to design cocktails that delight the senses and are memorable.” Her electric dust garnish derived from the buzz button (a natural alkaloid that activates salivary glands) and her dragon fruit cubes meant to look like dice in her Lucky Lady cocktail at Wynn Las Vegas excite her guests and make her a superstar behind the bar.

Mariena also uses edible wafer paper chips with art printed on edible paper, fresh fruit florals, edible parfums, smoke, dry ice, and foams used as platforms to prop up and create levels of flavors and mouthfeels. She created her cham-feign technique to emulate Champagne by carbonating a traditional foam of rosé wine, strawberry rhubarb rose syrup, and pasteurized egg whites. “Whipping the foam by the addition of CO2, opposed to the traditional N2O technique, impregnates the foam with CO2 and effervescence that mimics Champagne in both sensation, mouthfeel, and flavor.”

MARIENA’S TIPS FOR WORKING WITH FOAM GARNISHES

USE EGG WHITES:

Foams are a unique way to impart layers into cocktails. My secret is always use one-part pasteurized egg white, one-part flavor solution. Although there are many hydrocolloids that can be used to create foams, I always stick with my trusty egg white. I never have to worry about unwanted flavors from thickening agents. CO2: For a pint cannister, use 1-2 cartridges. For a quart, use 2-4 cartridges— depending on how tight you want the consistency to be. Always express first into a cup to check the pressure, before foaming your cocktail. If too high, express some out until you can foam easily on top of a cocktail. Always refrigerate your solution. AROMATICS: You have thousands of taste buds, but millions of olfactory receptors so aromas are important in the flavor experience. When you layer your cocktail with different herbs or aromas, you impart multi-layered sensory experiences. I use aromatic ingredients (i.e., rose water) to disguise the slight aroma of the egg. MISE-EN-PLACE: Very similar to the kitchen, I prep my garnishes and appliques pre-service so I can have showstopping garnishes in a timely fashion.