Recipe
inspired by “I Am Not Left Handed” from Rumba
- 1.5oz Batavia Arrack van Oosten
- .75oz Cynar
- .5oz apricot liqueur
- 2 dashes orange bitters (Regans’)
- 1 dash chocolate bitters (Fee Brothers)
- 1 drop cinnamon tincture (homemade)
Stir with ice and strain. Express the oils from a grapefruit peel over top and drop in.
About
Soooo I FINALLY picked up a bottle of Batavia Arrack after being curious about it for so long! This is one funky beast! It’s a close relative of rum (actually could be considered the great grandfather of rum) and extremelyyy funky in flavor. Funky as in your mouth will think: what the heck am I tasting? And that flavor will continue to change even far after the initial sip.
Arrack (different from the middle eastern anise spirit “arak”) is a Javanese spirit made from sugar cane with a bit of fermented red rice and was a staple in traditional punches in the pre-Prohibition era. I decided to start my experimentation by making a cocktail inspired by one that I tried (and loved!) at the Seattle rum bar Rumba (the first time I ever tasted anything with arrack) and I think it turned out decent…the more I sipped it the more I enjoyed it (always a good sign!). Definitely looking forward to playing around with this some more – what an exciting spirit, so many possibilities!