This Nectarine Cavalier is a drink we love

One of the best spots to sit and grab a bite — and a world class cocktail — is at the bar of Gimlet at Cavendish House in Melbourne. And if you happen to be there when nectarines are in season, this is the drink you’ll want.

“Nectarine Cavalier is all about showcasing the flavour of ripe yellow nectarines,” says bar manager Lachlan Bentley, the creator of this drink. “Intended to be a low ABV aperitif sipper, all the ingredients and proportions of the cocktail are intended to support the fruit. Processing the nectarine with lacto fermentation adds a lovely salty and acidic dimension and really amplifies the flavour of the fruit. Cutting the fermented fruit with fresh fruit helps retain balance and reinforces that ripe and juicy element of a nectarine. The wine blend sets a great base note while the calvados provides body and the Amaro Montenegro plays off that floral element of ripe yellow nectarines.

“It’s simple in ingredients, we just wanted to showcase the fruit.”

Nectarine Cavalier

Batch recipe:
450ml Wine blend (3 parts Dolin Dry, 2 parts White Port, 1 part Cocchi Americano)
75ml Calvados
150ml Amaro Montenegro
300g Lacto fermented Nectarine puree*

Add pectinex to the batch and sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. Clarify through v60 filters.

To serve pour 67.5ml of the batch, 1/4tsp 2:1 simple syrup and 1/4tsp of 10% citric acid into a rocks glass with a large rock and serve with a nectarine cheek.

For the lactose fermented nectarine puree:
Halve and remove pips from ripe yellow nectarines, combine with 2% salt by weight and vac seal - allow to ferment for 6 days burping when necessary. Combine 1 part fermented nectarine to 3 parts fresh nectarine by weight and blitz.