IS THIS MELON FLUFF MILK PUNCH THE COOLEST COCKTAIL IN SARATOGA?
Hamlet & Ghost Bar Director Sonia Castellani is known for her culinary, clarified cocktails. Here she combines the fresh fruit of her French childhood with marshmallow + milk tea.
Words: Susie Davidson Powell
Photos: Victoria Sedefian/The Dishing
Location: Hamlet & Ghost, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
The cocktail: Melon Fluff Milk Punch by Sonia Castellani
The Ingredients: Bruléed fluff, vanilla & pineapple Giffard, coconut rum, pineapple & lemon juice, French melon liquor Artonic, Mexican gin (Condesa), honeydew milk powder, sugar, Madagascar vanilla tea. Garnished with bruléed marshmallow wedge.
The inspiration: “I worked with the melon Artonic spirit a few years ago, and I always liked its flavor profile so I wanted to come back to it and build something around it. I wanted to bring the flavor of those really great melons from Provence onto the menu. It’s something I remember from when I was younger, and it always stuck with me. This was my way of trying to recreate that and share it with people in a way that feels familiar but a little more refined.
The goal was to highlight what Artonic already does well those light, fruity, slightly sweet melon notes while adding a couple of elements that would accentuate it without overpowering it. That’s where the marshmallow came in. It adds a soft, rounded sweetness and a bit of texture that plays really well with the melon.
Turning it into a milk punch helped bring everything together. It smooths out the edges and makes the drink feel more balanced and refined, while still letting the core flavors come through.”
Read our Guest Shift interview with Sonia here.
