Szechuan Numbing Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to one month. The numbing potency may decrease slightly over time. Keep refrigerated.

Toast the peppercorns in a dry pan for sixty to ninety seconds until fragrant before adding to the syrup — this activates the volatile aromatic oils and produces a dramatically more complex result than untoasted peppercorns. The numbing effect is dose-dependent; start with one ounce in a cocktail and increase to find the threshold where the tingling sensation is interesting rather than overwhelming. The sanshool compounds that create the numbing sensation bind to fat molecules, so a small amount of coconut oil added to the finished syrup can help carry the effect in cocktails. The syrup tastes intensely citrus-forward and faintly floral in addition to its numbingcharacter.

Sichuan peppercorn (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) is not botanically related to black pepper or chili peppers but is instead a member of the citrus family (Rutaceae), native to Sichuan Province in southwestern China. The spice has been used in Chinese cooking for over two thousand years, documented in ancient Chinese medical texts as a warming herb that stimulates circulation. The unique numbing sensation it produces — called málà (麻辣, numbing-spicy) in Chinese — is caused by the compound hydroxy-alpha-sanshool, which activates TRPV1 receptors and creates a distinctive tingling and light anesthesia of the lips and tongue rather than heat. Sichuan peppercorn was banned from import into the United States from 1968 to 2005 due to concerns about citrus canker disease; the lifting of this ban coincided with the rise of Sichuan cuisine in American restaurant culture and the craft cocktail movement's interest in unusual flavor compounds.

A Sichuan-ginger syrup combining equal parts Sichuan peppercorn and fresh ginger during simmering creates the classic málà flavor foundation used in Sichuan hot pot broth and adapted here into a complex cocktail modifier. A Sichuan-citrus syrup adding the zest of one orange and one lemon amplifies the citrus notes already present in the sanshool compounds. For a Sichuan-honey syrup using honey in place of white sugar, add the honey off the heat to the strained, cooled syrup — heated honey loses some of its floral character.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Sichuan peppercorn is in the Rutaceae (citrus) family — those with citrus allergies should use with caution, as cross-reactivity is possible.