Swirl the World

Mix up your usual drink selection with these cocktails inspired by the global village.

TEXT BY ADAM H. CALLAGHAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN VALLS

featuring KAVALAN SOLIST EX-BOURBON SINGLE CASK STRENGTH WHISKEY FROM TAIWAN

Much like Japan, Taiwan has emerged in the recent past as a serious player in the worldwide whiskey scene. Amid fewer restrictions than in the US or Europe on what constitutes “single malt,” experimentation reigns, and the subtropical climate leads to a faster aging process, developing deep, complex flavors in the barrel in short order. Kavalan, founded in 2005, put Taiwan on the map, winning scads of international awards. The Solist exBourbon Single Cask Strength leans into the distillery’s often sweet, tropical-fruit flavor profile, making it a perfect replacement for bourbon alongside bitter, fruity amari and sour lemon in the Paper Plane—like Kavalan, another modern classic, invented in 2007 by an Australian bartender.

INGREDIENTS: ¾ oz Kavalan Solist ex-Bourbon Single Cask Strength; ¾ oz Aperol; ¾ oz Amaro Nonino Quintessentia; ¾ oz lemon juice

METHOD: Add ingredients to a shaker, shake with ice, then strain into a coupe glass.

featuring ANGOSTURA RUM FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Everyone knows Angostura for its aromatic bitters, which essentially defined these cocktail seasonings to most Americans for decades until a modern renaissance in drinking culture led to small-batch bitters in every flavor under the sun. But Angostura, based in Trinidad and Tobago, also makes fantastic rum that is every bit as worthy of a spot in your repertoire. Along with the famous bitters, the barrelaged 1919 Dark Rum shines in a frosty Queen’s Park Swizzle, named for the Trinidadian hotel where it was created in the 1920s and known to some as the unofficial cocktail of Trinidad.

INGREDIENTS: 1 oz fresh lime juice; 1 oz Demerara simple syrup; 12–14 fresh mint leaves; 2 oz Angostura 1919 Dark Rum; 6-8 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters; fresh mint for garnish.

METHOD: Build in a highball glass; muddle mint leaves in lime juice and simple syrup, then fill glass with dry crushed ice. Pour rum over crushed ice and swizzle well—that is, twirl a bar spoon between your palms— until glass is ice-cold and frosted. Pack glass with more crushed ice, and top with Angostura aromatic bitters.

featuring PIERRE FERRAND 10 GENERATIONS COGNAC FROM FRANCE

One of the oldest cocktails, the Old Fashioned receives a new lease on life with the substitution of Cognac for the typical bourbon, a subtle but marked shift from the grain fields of America to the vineyards of France. As the drink is also one of the simplest concoctions out there, it really lets the base spirit shine—in this case, a luxurious Cognac honoring 10 generations of Ferrands, who’ve been refining their techniques since 1630—meaning you’ll pick up the likes of orange blossoms, raisins, and nutmeg on the nose and taste flavors such as baked pear, vanilla, and tobacco. If you yearn to indulge among the grapevines of western France, this may be the next best thing.

INGREDIENTS: ½ teaspoon simple syrup; 3 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters; 2 oz 10 Generations Cognac; Orange twist for garnish

METHOD: Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain and pour over large clear ice cube in double old-fashioned glass. Express the orange peel, and place into glass.

featuring ROKU GIN FROM JAPAN

The tall, refreshing highball—with a base spirit swimming in bubbly water— refreshes drinkers throughout Japan. Here, the long drink meets a gin and tonic to become the Roku Sonic, in which soda water, tonic water, and the unique Japanese botanicals of Suntory’s Roku gin (cherry blossoms and leaves, yuzu peel, sencha and gyokuro green teas, and spicy sansho pepper) provide a terrific twist on two classics. Top the drink with a twist of bright yuzu peel, and you’ll complete the transportive effect.

INGREDIENTS: 1.5 parts Roku gin; 2 parts chilled premium soda water; 2 parts chilled premium tonic water; Yuzu or lemon twist for garnish

METHOD: Fill a highball glass to the brim with ice. Add Roku, soda water, and tonic. Stir, and garnish with yuzu twist.

Limonana, a minty lemonade often served frozen, is an absolute favorite throughout Israel and other countries in the region. If your area continues to swelter under the rays of the fall sun, stave off the heat with a batch of this cooling green elixir—and if you decide you want it with alcohol after all, limonana goes great with anise-flavored arak.

INGREDIENTS: 1¾ cups water (divided); ½ cup sugar; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 1¼ cups fresh mint leaves, plus whole sprigs for garnish; 3½ cups ice; 1 cup fresh lemon juice; Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

METHOD: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup of the water with the sugar and lemon zest. Heat over medium, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely, then pour sugar syrup into a blender. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender, and blend until slushy. Pour into two glasses and serve, garnished with fresh mint sprigs if desired.

India’s creamy, tangy yogurt- or curd-based lassi is a versatile drink, easy to customize with sweet fruit like bananas or strawberries or even savory additions including cumin and mint, all of which complement spicy food beautifully. In this version, one of the most popular at Indian restaurants in America, the warm spice of cardamom combines with lush mango for a satisfying treat. (If you were inclined to jazz it up, a splash of rum couldn’t hurt, either.)

INGREDIENTS: 1½ cups yogurt; ¾ cup water or milk; 1 cup ripe mango (frozen or fresh); 1/4 tsp cardamom powder; 1/2 cup ice; 1 tsp salt

METHOD: Mix all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. If drink is too thick, add water as needed to thin it out, and blend again. Pour into glasses and serve.

Angostura angostura.com

Kavalan Whisky kavalanwhisky.com

Pierre Ferrand Cognac maisonferrand.com

Roku Gin okugin.suntory.com