Creema di Leema Cocktail
By Paul AdamsPublished on May 11, 2017
Yield
Makes 2 cocktails, plus enough lime-strength orange juice for a dozen more
Ingredients
Lime-Strength Orange Juice
2 cups orange juice (about 8 oranges)2 teaspoons citric acid 1½ teaspoons malic acidCreema di Leema
3 fluid ounces (6 tablespoons) gin 2 fluid ounces (¼ cup) heavy cream 1½ fluid ounces (3 tablespoons) simple syrup 1 large egg white ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup ice cubes 1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) plus 1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) seltzer or club soda, dividedBefore You Begin
We highly recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice here, not store-bought. It’s worth the extra effort. This recipe makes extra lime-strength orange juice, so you can easily shake up second and third rounds of this cocktail. If you don’t use it up all at once, the adjusted juice will keep well for three days in the refrigerator. While the incidence of salmonella in raw egg whites is low, if you are at all concerned, feel free to use pasteurized eggs. Cocktail recipes are classically presented in fluid ounces and measured with a jigger; we’ve listed liquid ingredients in both fluid ounces and tablespoon/teaspoon measurements. Citric acid is the primary acid in lemons and limes. You can sometimes find it in the spice section, labeled “sour salt,” or you can purchase it by clicking here. Malic acid is the acid that gives Granny Smith apples their distinctive tartness, and it’s also a component of lime juice. You can purchase it by clicking here.
Instructions
- For the Lime-Strength Orange Juice: Stir orange juice, citric acid, and malic acid in pitcher or airtight container until acids are fully dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Juice can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- For the Creema di Leema: Stir gin, cream, simple syrup, egg white, and vanilla together in cocktail shaker.
- Add 2 fluid ounces (1/4 cup) orange juice to shaker. Close tightly and shake until frothy, at least 30 seconds. Add ice to shaker, close, and shake for 2 minutes.
- Strain evenly into 2 large wine glasses. Add 1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) soda water to each glass and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.
Yield
Makes 2 cocktails, plus enough lime-strength orange juice for a dozen moreIngredients
Lime-Strength Orange Juice
Creema di Leema
Ingredients
Lime-Strength Orange Juice
Creema di Leema
Ingredients
Lime-Strength Orange Juice
Creema di Leema
Why This Recipe Works
In her young-adult novel The Homeward Bounders, Diana Wynne Jones's grimly wandering protagonists have a brief respite in a blithe, carnivalesque land they call Creema di Leema, after the local tipple. "It was like a sort of creamy orange juice. It never made you really drunk—just happy and bubbly."
As we started exploring the possibilities of augmenting citrus juices with powdered pure acids, we were reminded of that happy-go-lucky land and its eponymous beverage. It sounded sort of like a refreshing Ramos Gin Fizz but with sweet orange instead of harsh lime and lemon. A fizz made with straight orange juice would taste insipid because of the lack of acid, but what if we used orange juice with acids added to give it the acidity of lime juice? Perfect. As in a Ramos fizz, we balanced the gin and citrus with a rich froth of cream and soda water, stabilized with a touch of raw egg white to create a lasting foamy head. And a hint of vanilla, in lieu of the perfumy orange-blossom water that lends a Ramos its distinctive floral notes, gives the Creema di Leema a nostalgic creamsicle-like flavor.
Photography by Steve Klise
Before You Begin
We highly recommend using freshly squeezed orange juice here, not store-bought. It’s worth the extra effort. This recipe makes extra lime-strength orange juice, so you can easily shake up second and third rounds of this cocktail. If you don’t use it up all at once, the adjusted juice will keep well for three days in the refrigerator. While the incidence of salmonella in raw egg whites is low, if you are at all concerned, feel free to use pasteurized eggs. Cocktail recipes are classically presented in fluid ounces and measured with a jigger; we’ve listed liquid ingredients in both fluid ounces and tablespoon/teaspoon measurements. Citric acid is the primary acid in lemons and limes. You can sometimes find it in the spice section, labeled “sour salt,” or you can purchase it by clicking here. Malic acid is the acid that gives Granny Smith apples their distinctive tartness, and it’s also a component of lime juice. You can purchase it by clicking here.
Instructions
- For the Lime-Strength Orange Juice: Stir orange juice, citric acid, and malic acid in pitcher or airtight container until acids are fully dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Juice can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- For the Creema di Leema: Stir gin, cream, simple syrup, egg white, and vanilla together in cocktail shaker.
- Add 2 fluid ounces (1/4 cup) orange juice to shaker. Close tightly and shake until frothy, at least 30 seconds. Add ice to shaker, close, and shake for 2 minutes.
- Strain evenly into 2 large wine glasses. Add 1 fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) soda water to each glass and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.
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