Molecular Mixology

"Molecular gastronomy" is the term for outrageous chemistry set cooking. The next evolution seems to be molecular mixology, with that same sense of scientific experimentation and whimsy expressed in cocktails. Mixologist and Smirnoff consultant Cameron Bogue has created a line of "sushi" that is really a cocktail. (All the "sushi" in the photo above represents an ounce and a half of hard liquor – the same as a moderately stiff drink.) The “rice” isn’t actually the venerable grain, but instead results from a combination of innocuous chemicals, including a gum from algae, dropped in a mixture of water and calcium chloride. What would normally be the raw fish portion is, in fact, a gel made from various liquors with a base of carrageenan, an algae extracted from seaweed off the Irish coast. Think of this as glorified, grown up jello shots. Difficult to produce, these items are only now starting to appear at private functions. They're a little too complicated for most bars, restaurants and home chefs to produce, but that may change as new recipes are developed. “It’s an awesome gimmick, a way to wow guests,” says Bogue, the man who created them. Some of his recipes, including easier to make foams and powders, can be found at www.smirnoff.com.