Malta Drink Recipe

Malta is a popular non-alcoholic beverage featuring an earthy, sweet taste. This dark, bubbly drink hails from the Caribbean and Latin America refreshing on its own but also complex in flavor. As much as people enjoy this fortified wine by drinking it directly out of the bottle, you can also embark on your own fun little culinary adventure and make homemade port.

How to Make Homemade Malta Drink

To make Malta drink, pour some water into a pot, followed by good quality malt extract, add water, next heat and stir until the liquid has dissolved. Sweeten to taste then leave the syrup cool before bottling. You will need a carbonation system or add some soda water to it. Like regular lemon iced tea, this can be chilled in the fridge and enjoyed a few hours later over ice, garnished with lime if desired.

Ingredients

• 1 cup malt extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Ice cubes
• Slices of lemon or lime (to garnish, optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Syrup: Heat a saucepan and stir that malt extract, sugar, and molasses on medium heat until there are no more chunks of sugar left from stirring it around.
2. Add Water: Meanwhile, add water to the saucepan slowly stirring, bring it to a boil, and turn back on low temperature to simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. Enhance the Flavor: Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in some vanilla extract to really elevate the taste of this drink.
4. Chill the Drink: Pour the drink into a jar, move to room temperature, and then store in the refrigerator for at least an hour until cold.
5. Serve: Add ice to a glass, fill with cold malta, and top it off with more lemon or lime if you'd like.

Serving Suggestions

• Pairing Options: To be served chilled or on the rocks as a sipped drink, Maltaelangeda is best accompanied by plantain chips, empanadas, and cheese platters to counter its sweetness.
• Ideal Occasions: Malta makes an ideal soda for a non-alcoholic lunch, they go great at outdoor family barbecues or as a prime choice for picnics.
• Customization Ideas: Add some ginger or cinnamon for a nice spicy flavor, and mango juice, or passion fruit juice instead to give your drink a fruity twist.
• Storage Tips: Place leftover malta in an airtight container and keep fresh for up to three days inside the refrigerator.
• Cultural Significance: Malta serves as a conduit for many Caribbean and Latin American cultures enabling patrons to relish the flavors of their traditions.

Tips and Variations

• Chill Your Glasses: For an even cooler chilly taste, I wanted to heat those glasses up in your freezer before pouring the drink.
• Vanilla Ice Cream Float: It is a vanilla ice cream float; drop some small scoops of vanilla in your chilled Malta glass.
• Spice It Up: Try a sprinkle of nutmeg or cloves for a cozier version of your Malta drink when it's chilly outside.
• Alcoholic Variation: Adults can add a splash of dark rum or coffee liqueur to Malta for an adult cocktail.
• Sweetness: Sweeten to taste, decrease or increase sugar as desired.

Preparation Time

• Approximately 10 minutes
• serving size: 4

Nutrition Information

• Calories: ~100 kcal
• Carbohydrates: ~25 grams
• Sugars: ~22 grams
• Protein: ~1 gram
• Fat: 0 grams
• Sodium: ~10 mg

Ingredient Substitutes

• Malt Extract: Barley malt syrup or malted milk powder will give your homebrew some of the malty flavor.
• Sugar: Honey, agave syrup, or a calorie-free sweetener like stevia (I love this one) monk fruit sweetener.
• Molasses: Dark corn syrup or maple syrup (flavor imparted will be different).
• Vanilla Extract: Complementary may be vanilla bean paste or serene vanilla flavoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it work with flat water for the Malta drink?

You can also make a still version by just using non-carbonated water, but adding soda water or running it through your carbonation system will give you the fizz associated with Malta drinks.

Do I add sugar, or some sort of sweetener to the Malta drink?

If you do want to change how sweet a recipe is, then you can mess around with the sugar (or another bulk-quantity sweetener) amount or switch out for an alternative like honey or agave syrup.

What is the correct way to store leftovers in Malta?

Place any unused Malta in a covered container, keep it in the refrigerator, and consume within three days while still fresh.

Are there different extracts that I can substitute for vanilla?

For different flavor options in your Malta drink, you can use almond or coconut extracts instead but this will alter its traditional taste.

Is it possible to make this recipe vegan?

It contains a vegan recipe, and if you would like it to be kept in its vegan state also make certain any memorable ingredients or alternatives are plant-based.

Can this drink be served hot?

Malta comes cold on ice for one refreshing approach and hot as a malted beverage in another twist to serve it.

Conclusion

Preparing your Malta drink at home can be a lovely and customizable way to have some fun, learn more about the beverage. Whether it is added into your party drinks, or those hot days that needed some more Caribbean (or Latin American) vibes the options to blend flavors are endless.