My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Many like to post about a first successful ferment (or first all grain mash), or first still built/bought or first good run of the still. Tell us about all of these great times here.
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Deethe
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My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by Deethe »

I've got a pack of Thai blue tea (clitoria ternatea, butterfly pea). So I decided I'd tint my homemade sambuca light blue...
The recipe on the pack says, "put 10-20 dried flowers per liter of beverage, infuse for 2 weeks, filter the flowers out".
I put 12 flowers per liter (seemed not too much), and the next morning my sambuca looks like ink! :P

Here it is, bottled:
DSC_2399.JPG
Next I was planning some blue gin (they say it turns pink when combined with tonic). I guess I'll use 3-4 flowers per liter...
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Yummyrum
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by Yummyrum »

Whoow , thats intense blue :thumbup:
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jonnys_spirit
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by jonnys_spirit »

Clitoria Ternatea
6B576CB1-A808-4327-AE97-7C847CF35FAE.jpeg
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i prefer my mash shaken, not stirred
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Oatmeal
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by Oatmeal »

Does it also add flavor? Also, scientist getting cute with names....
Through the magic of alchemy, our spirits live on.
Deethe
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by Deethe »

Oatmeal wrote: Tue Sep 21, 2021 5:15 am Does it also add flavor?
None that I can taste. Sambuca by itself has an overwhelmingly strong flavor.
seamusm53
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by seamusm53 »

As you found out, intensity of color is dependent both on how many flowers are used but also how long the flowers are in contact with the liquid. The pH dependent color change is also less apparent if the intensity is high. My wife loves a drink I call 'Purple' which is colored gin with Fresca and a slice of lime. Interestingly, over time the color fades. It is a fun trick to impress visitors with your sophisticated color palette. And I have not been able to discern any taste from the flowers but I haven't gone quite as deeply colored as you did. It must have some flavor since it is usally used as a 'tea'.
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Rrmuf
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by Rrmuf »

Ive used it as well, and generally you need about 2-3 flowers per liter of distillate and it does not add any flavour or aroma as far as I can tell.
--- It sure looks nice though!
-- Rrmuf
a13b9
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by a13b9 »

Wow that looks amazing!
Sneak it in at the movies in a couple of fountain pens :lol:
MihiT
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by MihiT »

For a bit of extra sport, add a nip of methylene blue (available at pharmacy) to your guests' serve... the next time they go to the toilet...well, you'll probably hear it!
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NZChris
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by NZChris »

I've been using butterfly pea flowers for a few years now, but not in the gin itself, mostly in blue ice cubes that gradually turn the drink pink as the ice melts. It works just as well in kid's lemonades etc.. Don't tell your guests what will happen, let them have the joy of discovering it themselves.
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Rrmuf
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Re: My first beverage tinted with butterfly pea

Post by Rrmuf »

NZChris wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:20 am I've been using butterfly pea flowers for a few years now, but not in the gin itself, mostly in blue ice cubes that gradually turn the drink pink as the ice melts. It works just as well in kid's lemonades etc.. Don't tell your guests what will happen, let them have the joy of discovering it themselves.
Fun!
-- Rrmuf
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