The Best Sachlav Recipe
The warm, boozy drink we'll be sipping all winter
Sachlav is a widely popular warm beverage known as the Middle East's answer to hot chocolate and has been around for ages. Large vats of the thick, almost custard-like drink can be found bubbling away on the streets as pedestrians and city dwellers go about their day. Each country is known for putting its own twist on the hot beverage with a wide array of ingredients like orange-blossom water, ground cinnamon or coconut.
Modern Israeli chef Alon Shaya's nondairy version from his New Orleans restaurant, Shaya, includes booze, and for obvious reasons, we can't get enough of it. Fellow Israeli chef and Philly restaurateur Michael Solomonov is also a fan, saying, "It's so pure. Perfect on the inevitable cold Jerusalem nights." Marshmallows not included.
Recipe adapted from Alon Shaya, Shaya, New Orleans, LA
- For the Salep Coconut Milk
- 2 tablespoons salep (orchid root powder)
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- For the Cocktail
- 3 ounces salep coconut milk
- 1 ounce Nocello liqueur
- ½ ounce raspberry liqueur
- Pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped, for garnish
- Shaved coconut, for garnish
- Cinnamon stick, for serving
- In a blender, blend the milk ingredients on high.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all of the cocktail ingredients, except the garnishes. Using an espresso wand, steam the mixture until frothy, 10 seconds. Pour the drink into a mug, garnish with pistachios and coconut, then serve with a cinnamon stick.