When deciding on tonight’s drink, we meant to do something less challenging than many of the batavia arrack drinks, “maybe using the pineapple liqueur since we’re enjoying the banana so much?”. Naturally, that means we found another drink with batavia arrack in it.
Tasting Notes
Rory: I think the pineapple juice version is a little more interesting & livelier, but I like the pineapple liqueur version more overall - smoother, more unified. they seem to be about as sweet as each other to me. the liqueuer version could stand to have a little more going on but I’m not sure what; maybe just more arrack? it’s also possible that part of the difference is that the juice version sat for a few minutes before we got to try it while I shook the liqueur version, which might explain some of the smooth/rough difference.
Now that I’m reaching the end of the drink, and it’s starting to warm up, I think I’m picking up on more of the batavia arrack. I went and sampled the juice version again, and deffo the arrack comes out more if it’s not cold, to the point of being unbalanced when it’s nearer to room temperature
ryan: The liqueur one is very smooth and put together, but it doesn’t have a lot going on. I think I might try using the liqueur but replacing the syrup with cinnamon syrup or perhaps 1/4oz allspice and 1/4oz of some syrup? The juice one is less smooth and more interesting, but I’m not quite sure which I like better, although rory let me pick and I went with the juice version.
At the end of the drink, the arrack did show up a bit more. In the juice version that was pretty a pretty neutral change; in the liqueur version it improved the drink a bit.
Recipe
- 1 1⁄4 oz Cognac, (Cognac Park Cask Single Barrel)
- 1⁄2 oz Jamaican rum, (Hamilton Jamaican Black)
- 1⁄4 oz Batavia Arrack, Van Oosten
- 3⁄4 oz Pineapple juice (Giffard Caribbean Pineapple Liqueur)
- 3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
- 1⁄2 oz Demerara syrup (2:1)
- 1 dash cardamon bitters
- 3⁄4 oz aquafaba
Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Source: Kindred Cocktails