Cocktail Ingredient Glossary
What You’re Actually Drinking
Shelter Ingredients
The staff at SHELTER use quite a variety of ingredients, techniques, and methods to create standout cocktails. Not all of these items are easy to understand or even pronounce. We’ve designed a helpful, alphabetical guide for those who want to know what’s in their drink.
| AJI AMARILLO | A bright yellow chili pepper native to Peru, known for its medium heat and fruity, tangy flavour. It’s commonly used in Peruvian cuisine, often in sauces, stews, and marinades. The pepper can be used fresh, dried, or as a paste, adding warmth and depth to dishes like aji de gallina. |
| ACID SOLUTION | A mixture of an acidic ingredient, like citric, malic, or tartaric acid, dissolved in water or another liquid. It adds tartness and balance to cocktails, enhancing flavours and brightening drinks. These acids are commonly used in cocktails to provide a sharp, refreshing taste. |
| CHEONG | A traditional Korean syrup made by infusing fruits, herbs, or grains with sugar or honey, typically without boiling. The ingredients are allowed to naturally release their flavours over time, creating a sweet, aromatic syrup. |
| GENMAICHA | A Japanese green tea blend with roasted brown rice, giving it a nutty, toasted flavour. Known as “popcorn tea” for its popped rice kernels, it’s a comforting drink that can also add unique flavour to cocktails. |
| HOJICHA | A Japanese green tea made from roasted tea leaves, giving it a distinct smokey, earthy flavour. Unlike other green teas, hojicha is low in caffeine and has a smooth, warm taste. |
| MILK, CLARIFIED | A process where milk is added to a liquid, causing proteins to bind with impurities and separate, resulting in a clear, smooth drink. |
| PEPITA ORGEAT | A variation of traditional orgeat syrup, made by blending pepitas (pumpkin seeds) with sugar and water. This nutty, slightly sweet syrup is used in cocktails to add richness and a unique, earthy flavour. |
| SENCHA | A widely consumed Japanese green tea made from steamed leaves, offering a fresh, grassy flavour with mild sweetness and a hint of astringency. It’s commonly enjoyed hot or cold. |
| SHISO | A fragrant herb from the mint family, commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It has a distinct flavour profile with notes of basil, mint, and citrus. |
| SHOCHU | A Japanese distilled spirit typically made from barley, sweet potatoes, or rice. It has a smooth, slightly earthy flavour and is usually lower in alcohol content than whiskey or vodka. Shochu can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or mixed in cocktails for a subtle, versatile base. |
| SHIITAKE | A type of edible mushroom native to East Asia, known for its rich, umami flavour and meaty texture. Often used in cooking, shiitakes add depth to soups, stir-fries, and sauces. |
| SOTOL | A distilled spirit from the desert plant Dasylirion, native to northern Mexico. Similar to tequila and mezcal but with a unique flavour profile, sotol has earthy, herbal notes and a smooth finish. |
| SOURSOP | A tropical fruit known for its tangy, sweet flavour, combining notes of strawberry, pineapple, and citrus. The fruit has a soft, fibrous texture and is often used in smoothies, juices, and desserts. Soursop can also add a unique, refreshing element to cocktails. |
| TEPACHE CAMPARI | A unique liqueur created by our bartender Paulina that combines tepache, a fermented pineapple, with Campari, an Italian bitter liqueur. The blend offers the tropical sweetness of pineapple. This liqueur brings together a balance of sweet, sour, and bitter flavours, with a hint of spice. |
| TUILE | A thin, crisp cookie made from a batter of egg whites, sugar, butter, and flour, baked until golden and delicate. Tuiles are often used as a decorative garnish for desserts, adding a light, crunchy texture and subtle sweetness. |
| XILA | A traditional Mexican spirit made from the maguey plant, akin to mezcal but typically produced in smaller batches. It has a smokey, earthy flavour with agave undertones, offering a distinct taste of Mexican tradition. |
