The Wicked Truth Craft Cocktail
As the sun shines bright and the days stretch longer, there’s nothing quite like a refreshing cocktail. Meet the “Wicked Truth”, a concoction that beautifully balances earthy, herbal and zesty flavors. The drink is a refreshing aperitif style cocktail inspired by the popular Gordon’s Cup. The name is in reference to the good and “evil” cocktails can portray. With lower proof than most classic cocktails, this health-conscious drink should be suggested at the beginning of our Guests’ dining experience but can be enjoyed at any time.
Ingredients
At the heart of the Wicked Truth are muddled mint leaves and crisp cucumber slices, which lend a refreshing base to the cocktail. The Italian herbal liqueur Nonino L’ Aperitivo perfectly balances the gin, which form the backbone of this spirited blend. A splash of fresh lime juice brightens the drink, while the Chareau Aloe aids in the herbaceous. Turmeric ginger honey syrup introduces a warming spice with a hint of sweetness. The finishing touch? A bubbly splash of club soda, providing just the right amount of effervescence to make it truly refreshing.
Presentation
The “Wicked Truth” is as beautiful as it is delicious. Served in a tall Collins glass, it showcases its vivid hues, crowned with a cucumber ribbon that spirals elegantly around the glass. A bouquet of fresh mint and twist of black pepper finishes the look of the cocktail.
Bartender's Special At-A-Glance
- Approximately 10 mint leaves
- 5 cucumber slices
- 1 oz. Nonino L’Aperitivo
- 1 oz. Prairie Organic Gin
- .75 oz. Lime juice
- .5 oz. Chareau Aloe
- .5 oz. Turmeric/Ginger Honey Syrup
- 1 oz. club soda
Garnish
- Cucumber Ribbon
- Mint
- Black Pepper
Glassware
- Collin’s glass
Wild Santa Barbara Spot Prawn Season
Shrimp are found all over the world. From saltwater to freshwater, wild, farmed and frozen. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. The list goes on.
Prawns are generally found in freshwater environments.
Spot prawns; however, are not prawns. The Spot Prawn (Pandalus platyceros) is found exclusively in the Pacific Ocean, from the Gulf of Alaska down to Northern Baja California. Named after the paired spots located just behind the head, our California Spot Prawns hail from the Southern California Bight (a 430-mile stretch of curved coast from Point Conception, Calif. to Punta Colonet, Baja California Sur, Mexico), with main ports of entry at Santa Barbara, San Pedro and San Diego.
These shrimps are big, too. The largest in the Pacific, in fact. They can grow upwards of 12 inches (30.5 cm) but most are around 4 to 10 inches (12-27 cm) in length.
It’s in California where spot prawns were initially discovered in the 1930s, hanging out in octopus traps off the coast of Monterey. Today, they’re caught in pot traps to ensure careful handling and effective fisheries management (shoutout to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife).
Spot prawns dwell deep, inhabiting depths of 600 feet to 1,500 feet on soft and rocky bottoms.
LIFE CYCLE
The average life span for a spot prawn is around six years. It’s around year four or five when something magical happens: spot prawns start transitioning from male to female. Spot prawns start life as males, then they join the other team after their first spawn as males. They’re a true example of a hermaphrodite in the natural world, a protrandric hermaphrodite, if you want to get the scientific term spot-on.
Spot prawns spawn once a year, with each individual spot prawn mating once as a male and once or twice as a female. This typically occurs from October through January. That’s the reason spot prawn season is closed during that time.
UNBEATABLE FLAVOR
Spot prawns are a rarity and a delicacy. Careful handling is critical, as they must be enjoyed immediately after they decease. (There’s an enzyme in them that instantly begins decomposing the muscular structure, leading to a “mushy” texture when cooked if not handled properly.)
As finding and preparing spot prawns can be a little, well, spotty, it goes without saying that the best way to enjoy them is fresh from the water. At Water Grill, we fill our saltwater tanks with live spot prawns and prepare them to order, where you can get them as a tempura-fried Nigiri or as a Panca Tare-Marinated entrée.
Spot prawns are delicate and delicious. We may refer to them as delicate, but the firm texture makes them sweet and gives a “pop” of flavor every time you take a bite.
AT A GLANCE:
