Episode Details

Is there such a thing as flavored edible glitter? Flavored shimmer exists in the wider decorating world, but drink glitter and luster dust are deliberately flavorless — and the reason is arithmetic, not laziness. The guided dose is 0.1 grams per serving. That is a pinch. There is no flavoring that can be loaded into 0.1 grams of mineral powder and still be tasted in a full drink. You could scale the dose up to carry flavor, but you would buy that with grit in the mouth, a cloudy drink instead of a sparkling one, and a jar that empties many times faster — paying for taste by giving up the effect you bought the product for. The category chose the effect, and that is why bartenders use it at all: an odorless, chemically stable powder leaves a recipe alone. In this episode: - Why 0.1 grams cannot carry flavor, and what happens when you dose higher - Dana's winning round: the mechanism really would work — here is what it costs - Why "no flavor" runs at 18.4 percent of category negative mentions and also appears, word for word, in the positive ones - How bars separate the two jobs: flavor from the build, shimmer from the pinch - Clear drinks, and pinching at pour instead of dosing a pitcher in advance Who should skip it: anyone who actually wants a flavor — buy a syrup or a liqueur instead — and anyone serving opaque or creamy drinks all night, where the effect drowns. The MONÉGASQUE Iconic Gold 10 g drink glitter is on Amazon with its full ingredient list printed on the jar — about $15; check the listing for current pricing. Full transcript on the episode page. New questions answered every week at The Monégasque Table.