Vitória Kurihara

"To craft the Garnish with Good challenge cocktail for Ketel One, I devised an initiative built upon the pillars of sustainability, community, and local producers. In collaboration with a small local producer, we selected unconventional, often disregarded ingredients with the potential to elevate a cocktail's complexity. We opted to work with fig and lemon tree leaves. Manná is a Ketel One-based cocktail that incorporates Jerez Fino and a cordial crafted using fig and lemon tree leaves, adding a spicy kick and citrusy notes. Bars and restaurants across Brazil have embraced this concept, encouraging patrons to rethink how we can make the most of what nature offers. For small producers, into increased revenue by selling products that would otherwise go to waste.

Cheers!"

Manná

Glass: Nick and Nora 155 ml
Garnish: Lemon Leaf skeleton
Method: Stirred
In a mixing glass, add ice, Ketel One, fino sherry, and Cordial made from Sicilian lemon and fig leaf. Stir until well chilled. Serve in a pre-chilled Nick and Nora glass and garnish with a skeleton leaf.
Ice: Spear Ice

Ingredients:
40 ml Ketel One Family-Made Vodka
30 ml Fig and lemon leaves Cordial
20 ml Fino Sherry Fernando Castilla

To make Lemon Leaves and fig Cordial
200g of fig leaves
50g of Sicilian lemon leaves
850g of demerara sugar
1 liter of water
6g of citric acid
8g of malic acid
2g of salt

In a saucepan, add 850g of sugar and 1 liter of water. Bring to a boil and set aside. Cut the fig leaves and Sicilian lemon leaves into small pieces. In an airtight glass jar, add the leaves and the still hot sugar syrup. Seal tightly and let it infuse for 2 days in the refrigerator. After two days, strain the contents of the jar and add the acids and salt.

To make Lemon leaf skeleton:
500 ml washing soda
Bunch of leaves, preferably glossy ones
Water
Bleach (optional)

Instructions
Mix and Boil
Add your leaves to the pot along with the washing soda and enough water to completely cover the leaves. Bring everything to a boil and allow the mix to simmer for 90 minutes to two hours. Add water as necessary so that the leaves don't dry out. And be careful of the fumes coming off the pot.

Remove From the Water
After about two hours, carefully remove the leaves from the water using tongs or a spatula. Make sure your gloves are on from this point forward.

Brush Gently
Using tweezers to hold the stem and the soft paint brush or toothbrush, very gently brush away the pulpy part of the leaf. Flip the leaf over and repeat the brushing and pulp removal on the opposite side.

Rinse and Bleach
Gently dip the leaf in water to rinse. If you want it to be really white, soak the leaf in bleach for 20 minutes.

Dry the Leaves
Dry the leaf skeletons between two napkins so that they lie flat.