Damien mixes: “Sesame Old Fashioned”

© Damien Guichard

This month, Damien Guichard shows us how to showcase the ingredient sesame with our Community Cocktail.

Spring has definitely arrived here in Berlin! The streets are filled with the intoxicating scent of flowers, and early spring produce starts to appear in the markets. Bartenders have been waiting all winter to slap and muddle fresh herbs and other seasonal ingredients. “I’ll have what they’re having!”, bar guests declare, when they see a drink with a full bouquet of spring arrive at the next table.

This month, we will be taking advantage of all the fresh, seasonal ingredients and mixing a concoction with… sesame seeds! You asked for a sesame drink, so a sesame drink you shall receive!

For this drink, we are going to gently roast our sesame seeds to bring out more notes and depth from them. Unroasted sesame seeds are delicious on their own, but roasting them will really make the taste stand out in this drink. We’re going to be making an Old Fashioned, so we want to make sure that the flavour holds up against the rest of the ingredients. 

© Damien Guichard

Sesame Old Fashioned – That's the way to go!

To make a Sesame Old Fashioned, you’ll first weigh out 100g of untoasted sesame seeds and spread them evenly on parchment paper or tin foil. Next, bake them at 195 degrees Celsius for fifteen minutes, until they turn a golden brown. Be careful not to over-roast them, as baking them for too long will burn them and bring out too much bitterness. 

Once you’ve roasted your sesame seeds, add them to a vacuum bag, top with 700ml of vodka, and seal well. Place this infusion in a freezer for 24 hours. Trust me - this step is an important one, and here’s why:

Sesame seeds actually have a high concentration of fat which leaves a layer of oil on the surface of the infusion and will also turn cloudy in contact with water and ethanol. By freezing the infusion before filtering, the fat will be more efficiently separated, therefore reducing the chance of clouding (which is the last thing you want in a stirred drink). Once the infusion has been in the freezer long enough, simply pour it through a coffee filter and voilà: you’re ready to mix. 

Recipe for a "Sesame Old Fashioned"