Ube · With alcohol
The Kinampay
An ube colada in honor of Bohol's queen of yams. Rich, saline, sour edged.
Ube in full, from where it grows to how it reaches a glass in Europe, is in the Ube chapter.
GlassRocks glass, crushed ice.
Build
- 35 mlwhite rum
- 15 mlaged rum, ideally Filipino
- 25 mlube syrup (see Sourcing and syrups)
- 20 mlcoconut cream
- 20 mllime juice, or calamansi
- 1 pinchfine salt
MethodShake everything hard with cubed ice for 12 seconds. Strain over crushed ice.
GarnishToasted coconut flakes and a lime wheel.
Cost estimateCHF 4 to 5
What to expect in the glass
A colada that went to finishing school. Coconut cream carries the weight, lime cuts across it, and the salt does the quiet work of making both taste more like themselves.
Ube arrives late and low: a soft vanilla and pistachio sweetness underneath, and a faintly chalky, grainy body that ordinary syrups do not give you. That texture is the point.
The split base is deliberate. Ube's pigments shift toward magenta in acid, and a full measure of amber rum drags the color further into a dusty mauve while its oak competes with a quiet ingredient. Holding the aged rum to 15 ml keeps the spirit's character and lets the ube through.
Balance note
For a richer, oakier drink, use 50 ml aged rum alone and lift the syrup to 30 ml. Expect a browner, more opaque glass. If the lime reads sharp, reduce it to 15 ml before adding sugar.
Simon's note after tasting
Aroma: toasted coconut, vanilla and fragrant ube, lifted by fresh citrus and a hint of aged oak.
Palate: rich and creamy, opening with mellow ube and coconut before revealing vanilla, caramelized fruit and warm rum spice. Lime brings a bright edge; calamansi, if you find it, brings a rounder mandarin acidity instead. A touch of salt sharpens both.
Finish: smooth and gently tropical, with lingering toasted coconut, vanilla, subtle nuttiness and dry oak.
Overall: creamy, tangy and gently indulgent. Somewhere between tropical rum punch and dessert, kept honest by citrus and crushed ice.