Cheating Physics to Combine Cocktails and Oil With 1 Tool!

Hi, Friends of Cocktails! I have awesome news: Physics has been hacked. Mixing water and oil is now possible, and they stay combined without the need for emulsifiers or additives. So of course I took a step further, and used alcohol, and different fats. 

This is a brand new technique from Iain McPherson he calls Densing, and it might completely change how we build flavor into cocktails. And the wild part is that you only need one countertop tool to make it happen. So today we're breaking down what this technique is, how it works, and why I think this could change how we approach cocktails. I'll also test it across three different drinks, to see where it actually works, and test if you can do this with batched cocktails too.

If Iain’s name sounds familiar, it is because he’s also developed Sous Pression, Cryo Concentration, and Swiching, and now he’s back with a new technique to shake up the cocktail world. Surprisingly, today’s technique is not made with freezing, but if you want to learn more you can watch the episode in full here to see Iain talk more about it. But what does Densing accomplish? 

As you know from school experiments, just combining a liquid and oil shouldn't work, but under the right circumstances we can actually make it happen. And to create the right environment you'll need a simple tool that won’t break the bank: a Vacuum Blender. And before anyone points out we’ve combined liquids and fats in the past, like when we made an elevated Hot Buttered Rum, you need to hear out why this is such a big deal.

First, Densing doesn’t require any emulsifiers. Normally, if you want to combine fat and liquid, you need something like soy lecithin or xanthan gum to hold it together, and here you don't. The vacuum, for some reason, really allows it to absorb into the liquid and we found that we're basically vacuum-homogenizing the liquid.

Second, you're using way less fat than you would with fat-washing. Instead of fully saturating the liquid, we'll need just a small amount of oil, and even that will get blended into our spirits and cocktails, without going to waste. This means we can use less oil and make less waste for more absorption. Also, if you're looking from a bar manager's or a bar owner's perspective, this is also helping us save and be more efficient with the ingredients we're using.

Third, it's fast. No freezing, and no waiting overnight since you can do this in minutes. And finally, once it's combined, the mixture stays stable for days, or even weeks. So you end up with something that behaves very differently from anything we've used before. In fact, in some of Iain’s experiments he’s ended up with mixtures that won’t separate for months.

So let’s test Densing out with a few combinations that I think will work great, including a batched Negroni made with equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. Let's see how the magic happens, it’s Cocktail Time!

Peanut Butter Dense Whiskey	Coconut Dense Blanco Tequila	Olive Oil Dense Campari	Batched Coconut Negroni
● 300g Whiskey ● 4.5g Peanut Butter	● 300g Blanco Tequila ● 9g Coconut Oil	● 300g Campari ● 4.5g Olive Oil	● 400g Batched Negroni ● 12g Coconut Oil

The process will be the same for almost all of our infusions, starting with heating up both the spirit and the fat. So pour your alcohol and fat into a sous vide bag, seal it, then cook in a sous vide bath set to 50°C or 120°F. If you want to use the same fat to infuse different ingredients, you can also heat them up separately, and if you don’t have a sous vide you can also use a kitchen thermometer and a double boiler until you’ve reached the right temperature. 

So after about 15 minutes, our ingredients are ready to be transferred into the vacuum blender - here is where the key part of the process happens. First, pull a vacuum for about 45 seconds, then blend the mixture for 90 seconds. Let this rest a bit, still under vacuum, before repeating the blending cycle another 2 times. Now release the vacuum, pour the mixture out and that's it. You'll see the results are milky, but fully homogeneous, as well as rich with flavor. and richer with the coconut flavor and a rich texture.

The only thing to note is that the peanut butter whisky has solids from the peanut butter, so you need to strain it through a coffee filter. Then, just bottle your Densed ingredients, don’t forget to label them, and if you notice a bit of separation after a couple of days just give it a shake before using. If you really want to go the extra mile, you could also run another cycle in the vacuum blender, but from what I tested so far, everything has been holding together really well.

As for the shelf life, the technique is still quite new, so I can't give you exact numbers yet. But with spirits and oils, it should be shelf stable until the expiry date on the oils at a minimum. With our components ready, let's see how this actually works in a cocktail, starting with the easiest option, the Batched Coconut Negroni!

Batched Coconut Negroni

● 90mL · 3oz Coconut Dense Batched Negroni

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

● Orange Candy and TAVMA Pink Latex Spray Garnish

With a batched cocktail you just pour it in, add ice and stir for 20 to 30 seconds. I'll double strain it over a large ice block in a lowball glass, and then comes the final touch: a small orange jelly candy, and  a spray of TAVMA Pink Latex. One or two sprays are enough to add an aromatic layer on top, with notes of bubblegum, berries, and earthiness, almost seasoning the drink from the outside.

And with such an inviting aroma, you’re next hit with strong coconut, a creamy texture, some bitterness, but overall a softer and more rounded cocktail. But something I learned with this drink is that for batched cocktails you should use even less oil. 0.5 to 1% would probably be enough. So let’s see another option to get a similar result, this time using the Campari and olive oil mixture. 

Olive Garden Negroni

● 30mL · 1oz Olive Oil Dense Campari

● 30mL · 1oz Gin

● 30mL · 1oz Sweet Vermouth

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

● Green Candy and TAVMA Pink Latex Spray Garnish

Just like before, add the ingredients to a chilled mixing glass with plenty of ice. Next stir to chill and dilute, before straining over a large ice block in a lowball glass. Garnish with a small jelly candy as well, and finish with 1–2 sprays of TAVMA Pink Latex on top. This cocktail will give you more of the original flavors along with a richer texture… So yeah, go with less oil. 

Next up, we're revisiting something we've done before: the Peanut Butter Sandwich from one of the best bars in the world, the Handshake Speakeasy. Densing gives us another way to make it at home, instead of flying to Mexico City, and I wanted to see how Densing works with foamy cocktails, so for this one I'm also adding Vegg White,  a wonderful foaming solution that mimics egg white.

Peanut Butter Jelly Dense

● 60mL · 2oz Peanut Butter Dense Whiskey

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Lemon Juice

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Vegg White

● 15mL · 0.5oz Rich Raspberry Syrup

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

● Peanut Butter Strip Garnish

Here we’ll add all ingredients into a shaker with plenty of ice, shake hard to chill and dilute, then double strain into a chilled rocks glass with ice. Finally, we’ll add a peanut butter strip on the outside of the glass, instead of Handshake’s complicated garnish made with aereated chocolate. Either way, we’re left with a rich cocktail that’s even more textured than a traditional sour. 

Next up, and for our last cocktail, let’s make a Coconut Margarita.

Coco Margo

● 45mL · 1.5oz Coconut Dense Blanco Tequila

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Cointreau

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Lime Juice

● 1 barspoon Agave Syrup

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

● Toasted Coconut and Salt Rim Garnish

First rim half of a chilled coupe glass with a mixture of salt and toasted shredded coconut, then place it in the freezer. Now add all ingredients into a shaker with plenty of ice and shake hard, before double straining the Margarita into our chilled coupe glass with the salted coconut rim. This final cocktail is smooth and dense, just the way I like my Margarita to be made, but with a little flair, which is coconut in this case.

So, we saw where Densing stands out: less fat, less time, and still a very intense result, both in flavor and texture. But it still might force us to rethink something fundamental about cocktails. For a long time now, we've been chasing clarity, from our drinks to our ice… But what is wrong with being cloudy? Let's make cloudiness a good thing again, and we'll see if the cocktail world is ready for it. Though, there's still a lot to explore.

From different fats, different spirits, or even something without alcohol. I know this is just the start for Densing, as it will probably create so many more new creative ideas to go in many directions from this. As they say, the first car wasn't a Ferrari, the first plane wasn't a fighter jet. So, we're at the early stages, and I'm really excited that you're on this journey with us. But before we wrap up, an announcement!

I’m happy to announce that we’re adding two new names to our cocktail time Wall of Fame. A big thank you to our newest members and top-tier Patreon supporters, Wolfgang Kapuy-Schwarz, and Akın Kayışoğlu. You can also add your name to the Cocktail Time studio by supporting our work through Patreon, giving you amazing perks and exclusive content along the way. So consider checking it out, and until next time, cheers, Friends of Cocktails!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tui6YS8SoQk