Spoiler alert: the vibrant hue of blue curaçao comes from artificial additives. The liqueur itself is clear, but what kind of tropical tiki drink is so boring as to be colorless?
That was the question motivating Sam Anderson, the bartending genius whose Phil Khallins—a cocktail version of the traditional Thai Tom Kha soup—put Mission Chinese Food’s beverage program on the map as one of New York’s most innovative. When he stumbled upon the rare butterfly pea flower, he thought he’d hit gold (or blue, as the case may be); in Thai culture, the bloom is brewed into a brilliant cobalt tea and mixed with honey and lemon to make a drink called nam dok anchan, traditionally served to guests as a sign of welcome. But, when Anderson mixed the tea into a cocktail, he discovered that the color changed—when combined with the acid of pineapple and lime juices (because tiki drinks need tropical fruits, naturally), the drink turned a deep magenta. Hence the name: the Mood Ring.
“The first time I made the drink was in our office, for our executive chef, Angela Dimayuga. We were both freaking out," says Anderson. "I made another one that night for all the staff. Everyone's eyeballs popped—that’s maybe my favorite thing about it, that it makes you feel like a kid as you're watching it transform.”
That reaction inspired him to bring the creation of the cocktail out from behind the bar, turning it into a table-side magic show. “I realized, once I started making versions of the drink, that I would need to light it, because the lighting in the restaurant is always different,” says Anderson. Each drink is assembled atop an LED coaster that lights it from below, making the performance the focal point of the restaurant for a few minutes.
Anderson’s goal with the awe-inspiring drink “is to attract the curious mind at the table—the ones who will notice and want to try something totally unique.” Count us in!
Step One: Presentation
Before anything happens, the glass is brought to the table, holding a hand-carved ice cube, atop an LED coaster.
Step Two: The Tea
The butterfly pea flower tea is poured into the glass, its eery blue hue glowing.
Step Three: Mix the Cocktail
Caña Brava coconut butter-washed rum, Combier orange curaçao, and pineapple and lime juices are added to the tea; the acid in the fruit juices causes the pH change in the tea, which results in the color change.
Step Four: Drink!
Don't ogle the color too long! A good tiki drink shouldn't be watery.