At Llama San, a restaurant specializing in the Peruvian-Japanese cuisine known as Nikkei, this Old-Fashioned variation was developed to showcase tamari caramel, made with tamari (a Japanese sauce made with fermented soybeans) and oat milk. The vegan, gluten-free “caramel” accommodates numerous dietary restrictions (“I have too many friends who are gluten-free,” Marrero jokes) while adding mouthwatering sweet, salty and umami flavors to the drink, which in turns draws out a “salted caramel–chocolate” note in the bourbon.
Taboo
Lynnette Marrero, Llama San and Llama Inn | New York
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Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
- ½ ounce Tamari Caramel (see Editor’s Note)
- 2 dashes Sweet Miso Tincture (see Editor’s Note)
Garnish: orange twist and lemon twist
Directions
- In a mixing glass, stir all ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with orange and lemon twists.
Editor's Note
Tamari Carmel
Combine 2 tablespoons tamari sauce, 2 tablespoons demerara sugar and 1 tablespoon each coconut oil and oat milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly to melt the sugar. It will start to bubble; keep stirring for 1 minute. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Decant into a bottle for storage if not using right away.
Sweet Miso Tincture
Add 100 grams of white shiro miso to 750 ml house white rum. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Double-strain with cheesecloth, transfer back to bottle, label and date. Refrigerate.