Perpetual Motion

Blood orange purée lends a pleasantly bitter base note to this refreshing baijiu cocktail.

Makes
1 cocktail
Time
5 minutes

PHOTO: BRIAN KLUTCH • FOOD STYLING: JESSIE YUCHEN • PROP STYLING: PAIGE HICKS

Published on October 14, 2024

The beverage team at Cambridge, Massachusetts restaurant Sumiao Hunan Kitchen uses strong-aroma baijiu to make this refreshing baijiu smash cocktail recipe. This category of baijiu, which includes brands like Ming River and Mianzhu Daqu, lends a pineapple scent and hint of umami to this mixed drink, while blood orange purée lends a pleasantly bitter base note.

Featured in “Baijiu, the World’s Most Popular Spirit, Is Coming for Your Cocktail” by Megan Zhang.

Ingredients

For the blood orange purée:

1 blood orange, peeled and quartered
2 Tbsp. simple syrup

For the cocktail:

4 mint leaves, plus more for garnish
1 oz. strong-aroma baijiu
1 oz. St-Germain

Instructions

Step 1

Make the blood orange purée: To a blender, add the blood orange, simple syrup, and ¼ cup of water and blend until smooth.

Step 2

Make the cocktail: To a rocks glass, add 1 or 2 large ice cubes. In a cocktail shaker, lightly muddle the mint, then add the baijiu, St-Germain, 1 ounce of the blood orange purée (reserve the rest for another use), and enough ice cubes to fill the shaker about halfway. Shake until chilled, about 15 seconds, strain into the glass, garnish with more mint, and serve.