Cocktails with Banana
Banana is a sweet tropical fruit with soft, dense flesh, used fresh in drinks: blended, or sliced as a garnish.
How it's used
Blend it rather than muddle it: a muddler leaves lumps that clog the strainer. Pick it spotted, since a spotted banana is sweeter and far more aromatic than a plain yellow one. It gives a frozen drink or a shake its body. Aged rum and coffee suit it, and warm spice keeps it from tasting like candy.
Substitutes for Banana
Frozen banana
Peeled before freezing, it swaps straight in. It makes the drink thicker and colder, so use less ice.
Unsweetened banana purée
About 120 g replaces a medium banana.
Sweetened bar purée
It carries real sugar, so cut any syrup by about 25 ml for every 30 ml of purée.
Brings the banana flavor but cannot thicken a drink. Leave it out of alcohol-free shakes.
Plantain
Will not work: it is starchier and less sweet, and green plantain should not go into a blender raw.
