The Stimulant is a cocktail that I have only ever seen at one restaurant in Sydney, The Malaya.
The Malaya is a first-class restaurant that serves a mean Laksa but this w/u is about something else; a fine drink they invented and that I have relentlessly copied, experimented with and perfected.
Before we begin, a word on our second most important ingredient, Butterscotch Schnapps.
There are as many flavours and textures of Schnapps as there are companies that decide to put a Germanic name on their flavoured ethanol. If you like Butterschotch Schnapps then you probably have a favourite already but if you're new to it then try a variety until you find a decent one, they vary immensely.
Additionally, note the following rule for storing Schnapps (applies to good Vodka also): Schnapps should be kept in the freezer when not in use.
Chilled Schnapps is thick and viscous and it pours into a glass like oil; when it mixes with something like Lemonade it leaves a film of still oily Schnapps floating on the surface which disappears as it warms. This is how Schnapps should be served, try it and judge for yourself but it will make all the difference in this recipe.
Ingredients:
- One scoop vanilla Ice cream, the richer and creamier the better
- One shot espresso, Turkish coffee is a fine substitute that I like even more
- One shot Vodka, you won't be tasting it so it doesn't have to be top-shelf
- One shot Butterscotch Schnapps, this adds most of the flavour so get one that is rich and sweet
Place the ice cream in a
tumbler, over it pour the espresso and then the schnapps and lastly the vodka.
If the schnapps has been kept properly then it will be viscous and oil-like and will float on top of the coffee fairly well. Depending on the strength and type of coffee used, you may wish to reverse the order of the coffee and schnapps to prevent the schnapps sinking through the coffee unless that is to your taste.
The overall effect is a cocktail that is sweet, strong but not likely to floor you and ends with ice cream melting into coffee. I highly recommend them first thing Friday evening when you first get home from work but have lots of canoodling/noding/whatever ahead of you.
Unwinds and wakes you up at the same time.
Obligatory meta-node link: Everything Bartender