Mataroa partners with Popi Sevastou
Greek brand Mataroa Mediterranean Dry Gin has collaborated with Popi Sevastou, bar manager at restaurant and bar group Nolanverse, to create a signature cocktail.
Sevastou said: “When it comes to my bar menus, I like to keep things simple and let the seasons dictate my choices, just like the kitchens of the restaurants I have the privilege to be a member of.
“In terms of ingredients, I believe in using handmade preparations and whatever fruit and veggies are in season.”
To create her Amuse Bouche cocktail, Sevastou collected local prickly pears and wild fennel in Mykonos, Greece.
“My philosophy is all about hospitality,” she continued. “To me, the bar is not just a workplace; it is my home, and every customer who walks in, becomes my cherished guest.
“My ultimate aspiration is to make them feel comfortable and have a great time, which, in turn, makes me love my job.
“I won’t reveal my future plans but I’d love to share my dream with you. It’s to own a piece of land where I can grow the ingredients I need for my menu, adding a unique, fresh touch to my creations.”
Recently, the brand partnered with Tito Karipidis to create a G&T-style cocktail and Konstantinos Theodorakopoulos for a cocktail based on lavender.
It has previously teamed up with bartender Marcos Chorattides of Last Word Bar in Cyprus to create a signature cocktail inspired by the brand’s botanicals, and with Hyacinthe Lescoët of The Cambridge Public House to create a drink using Croatian juniper berries.
Mataroa Gin is distilled and bottled in Greece.
To create the Amuse Bouche, see below.
Amuse Bouche
Ingredients:
- 35ml Mataroa Mediterranean Dry Gin
- 15ml prickly pear spirit
- 20ml fresh lime
- 16ml prickly pear syrup with wild fennel (see below 50/50 juice to granulated sugar)
- 2 dashes saline solution (80:20 water to salt mix)
- 4 dashes fig tincture
- 8ml aquafaba
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Amuse Bouche misokofti (a jelly made from prickly pear juice, sugar, fennel, spices and nuts)
Method:
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin, dry shake or use a hand-held immersion blender or a whisk to aerate and emulsify the ingredients together. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a coupe glass.
* Prickly pear syrup with wild fennel
- 500ml prickly pear juice
- 500ml granulated sugar
- 50g wild fennel
Method: Combine, boil, strain and bottle. Store in fridge indefinitely.
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