Frozen Aruban Tamarind Slush with Fresh Mint and Sparkling Lime

Whisk the tamarind concentrate with the simple syrup, brown sugar and a pinch of salt until completely smooth and no grainy sugar remains at the bottom.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup tamarind concentrate
• 1/2 cup light rum
• 1/4 cup simple syrup, cooled
• 3 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 4 cups ice cubes
• 1/2 cup sparkling water, well chilled
• 12 fresh mint leaves, plus 4 sprigs to garnish
• 1 lime, cut into wheels

Instructions

1. Whisk the tamarind concentrate with the simple syrup, brown sugar and a pinch of salt until completely smooth and no grainy sugar remains at the bottom.
2. Add the lime juice and taste — tamarind varies enormously in strength, so adjust with syrup if it is puckeringly sour or with lime if it tastes flat.
3. Clap the mint leaves once between your palms to release the oils, then drop them into the blender. Do not tear or muddle them, which turns the drink bitter and grassy.
4. Add the tamarind mixture, the rum and the ice to the blender.
5. Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth and thick — it should mound on a spoon rather than pour freely.
6. Add the chilled sparkling water and pulse just twice, only long enough to fold it through without knocking out the fizz.
7. Pour immediately into four chilled tall glasses; the slush will begin to separate within minutes if it sits.
8. Garnish each glass with a lime wheel and a mint sprig, and serve with a straw and a long spoon.
9. Tamarind grows across the southern Caribbean and shows up in everything from Aruban candy stalls to home refrigerators as a sweet-sour syrup kept on hand all summer. Its natural acidity does the same job lime does in most tropical drinks, but with a deeper, almost molasses-like backbone that stands up well to being frozen. For a non-alcoholic version, replace the rum with an equal amount of chilled coconut water — the drink loses none of its structure.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 192 kcal
• Protein: 0g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 28g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 24g
• Sodium: 45mg