It’s quite serious, Loïc has turned into some sort of chemist since we opened Heron House. He has dedicated his heart and soul (and probably liver too) to experimenting and infusing the best liquor and cocktails in Hoi An. And goodness, the final results are surprisingly good too. As much as I love the special Lavender G&T, which has become a part of my daily diet, I have to give Loïc credit for his creativity in turning the freshest local ingredients into delicious cocktails. And with the Vietnamese sweet pomelo in season right now, we have been busy testing out the best pomelo gin recipe to offer to our guests.

The Vietnamese pomelo is quite different from the grapefruit in America and Europe. Our rich clay soil and abundant amounts of water and sunshine ensure the distinctive sweet flavor in each juicy fruit. We experimented with mixing two different pomelo varieties in our recipe to produce a sweet but slightly bitter tasting cocktail. The left over pomelo meat after the infusion process was then preserved in the freezer to add texture and more flavor to each drink. Needless to say, this is one of our popular sunset drinks when our guests chill out by the swimming pool.

Enjoy the recipe and let us know if the pomelo or grapefruit from where you are can produce tasty cocktails as well.

Ingredients:

• 45ml Pomelo-infused gin, using the best quality Vietnamese pomelo
• 15ml Cointreau
• 1 large spoonful of frozen pomelo (save it when you make the gin)
• Basil leaves for garnish (straight from our garden)
• 10ml Basil syrup (also made from the basil in our garden)
• 120ml Soda water
• Ice

Instructions:

• Place pomelo gin, Cointreau, half of ice, frozen pomelo, basil syrup, and a tablespoon of basil leaves into the blender
• Blend on ‘Icy Drink’ setting or equivalent if possible
• Pour contents over some ice in a glass
• Top off with soda water, stir, and serve chilled
• Place basil leaves on top as garnish

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