Crafting cocktails intrigues for many reasons. Sure, they obviously lead to a tipsy buzz, but it’s also a fun assembly process and there’s endless potential for creativity. You can take inspiration for top-notch drinks in the most unexpected places, such as a canned ingredient tucked away in the pantry. An overlooked but surprisingly malleable canned candidate is sweet corn.
The foodstuff packs in a pleasant — yet not overwhelming — natural sweetness boosted by a succulent, nearly milky composition that lends both body and flavor. A corn cocktail can be assembled through various means, but with the canned ears in hand, you want to strain or pulverize to release their essence and get textural uniformity. Consider throwing into a blender alongside Cachaça and condensed milk to craft a Batida de Milho Verde, a traditional Brazilian drink that’s thick and milky sweet. For a less-dense drink, run the kernels through a food processor and then compress in a fine cloth to release an opaque liquid. Place this into a shaker with simple syrup — perhaps also corn flavored — along with a spirit and further flavorings for a gently corn-tinged template. Finally, you can always muddle the corn in a shaker to release the essence into a broad range of drinks.
Integrate canned sweet corn into many creative cocktails
The beauty of canned sweet corn is its flexible nature. You can play to its sweetness, more savory notes, or texture. Not to mention, corn consumables appear surprisingly frequently — from the corn base of bourbon to the existence of corn liqueur — meaning there’s many corn cocktail connections.
To bring out sweet corn’s lightly savory notes, turn to Mexican-inspired cocktails — the ingredient is a cornerstone of the cuisine, after all. You can integrate the ingredient by muddling it into a perfect margarita. For something a little more intricate, mingle the squeezed corn milk with ingredients such as fruit juices, chile-spiked tequila, and ginger liqueur, perfectly towing the line of spicy-sweet. Corn also pairs fabulously with ingredients such as cayenne or black pepper, so throw in some ground spice, too. Riffs on the corn old fashioned — made with corn liqueur mixed with corn whiskey or agave spirits — are taking the cocktail world by storm; add in a splash of corn milk for creaminess.
Alternatively, lean into sweet corn’s dessert-like nature to build creamy and sweet drinks. Non-alcoholic corn drinks are a common refreshment in China and Japan; simply blend corn alongside an unaged spirit such as vodka and sip away. You can also blend corn into a cordial alongside condensed milk and aromatics, then integrate into a thickly textured bourbon sour devoid of egg whites.
Select your canned sweet corn for maximum mixing malleability
Since you’re drinking the canned corn alongside only a few other ingredients, it pays off to invest in the best canned corn brands. You want the most natural flavors, so check the ingredient list and look for as few additions as possible. Ideally, it should be just corn, water, and maybe a bit of salt. Verify there’s no added sugar — which can throw off drink ratios — as well as spices and seasonings that can imbue unwanted flavor profiles.
Additionally, make sure to buy whole kernel corn as opposed to sweet corn cream style, which comes with starch that can affect drink texture. If you’re dealing with a can already in your pantry, don’t fret, just select a cocktail build that works accordingly: When there are many additional ingredients, some slight flavorings may not be noticeable, and if you’re fully draining the corn kernels, the starch is more permissible. Finally, if you’re keen to make a corn cocktail but only have fresh kernels on hand, boil the corn alongside sugar to make a thick and malleable liquid. Or, simply cook corn on the cob in the microwave and use the kernels in muddling applications. There’s always a way to integrate corn’s delicious essence into drinks, you just need to apply the right creative spin.
