An homage to his grandmother’s cocktail bar, Kagano, which Christian Suzuki aims to re-open in the U.S., this rich, stirred drink blends aged rum with Scotch and banana liqueur. A measure of Japanese plum wine, known as umeshu, ties the drink together and harkens back to Suzuki’s youth: “My grandma used to put it in milk and give it to me as a child,” he recalls.
Kagano
Christian Suzuki, Wildhawk | San Francisco
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 1/2 ounces aged Puerto Rican rum, preferably Bacardi 8
- 1/2 ounce umeshu
- 1/4 ounce banana liqueur
- 1/2 ounce blended Scotch
- 1 dash saline solution (4:1, water:salt)
Garnish: expressed orange peel, edible orchid, banana leaf
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
- Express an orange peel over the surface of the drink, then discard the peel
- Garnish with an edible orchid and banana leaf.