[Recipe] Freek Power by Payman Bahmani-Bailey of Vagabond (Jakarta)

Hailing from the US, Payman of Vagabond in Jakarta enjoys the challenge of stirred cocktails because the creative process can be less forgiving: no sharp acidity or fruit juices to hide behind. His Freek Power cocktail features a rare grain infused in tequila, with flavors of light smoke and baking spice layered atop orchard fruit.

While the drink itself may look unassuming, it takes its inspiration from the famous “gonzo journalist” Hunter S. Thompson, who was anything but.

In 1970 he ran for sheriff of Aspen, Colorado on the “Freak Power” ticket, a campaign as unhinged as it was sincere. Years later, while assigned to cover the "Rumble in the Jungle,” Thompson abandoned the boxing match entirely to hunt wild boar in the African bush.

The Freek Power cocktail threads both moments together: freekeh, an ancient smoked and nutty tasting wheat from North Africa, infused into reposado tequila with a whisper of cinnamon. Apricot liqueur nods to the stone fruit of Thompson's Colorado high country, while dry and bianco vermouths provide sufficient wine acidity to balance the cocktail and keep the sweetness in check.

As the delicate freekeh, apricot, and cinnamon all provide the aromatic introduction, no citrus twist is necessary, and in fact would trample some of the delicate layered aromatics.

Ingredients:

45ml Freekeh & Cinnamon Tequila

15ml Apricot liqueur

10ml Dry vermouth

10ml Bianco vermouth

2 drops Saline solution (20g saline: 80g water)

*Make the Freekeh & Cinnamon Tequila: 

700ml Reposado tequila (highlands style preferred)

100g Freekeh (whole grain preferred over cracked)

3.5g Cinnamon sticks, broken up

Spread the freekeh on a sheet pan and lightly toast it at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until fragrant and darker. Combine freekeh with tequila in airtight container and infuse at room temperature for 8hrs.

Fine strain, ⁠add cinnamon, cover and infuse for 30 min. Once you detect whisper of cinnamon aroma, it's done (cinnamon can continue to add flavor even after straining so by the time you notice cinnamon on your palate, chances are it’s going to overpower the delicate freekeh). Strain and bottle.

Method:

Stir over ice and strain into a Nick & Nora glass. No garnish.

Thompson's life was about rejecting the expected. This drink does the same: a cocktail that refuses to behave like anything you've had before.