Created for Shaker & Spoon, a cocktail subscription service, Wagtail Sings was born out of self-imposed restraints. “When working on a cocktail kit there are lots of limitations, but limitations breed creativity,” says Caer Maiko. Destined for a Japanese whisky themed box, Maiko’s recipe naturally intended to nod to Japanese culture, but having recently prepared a Daijoubu cocktail box for the same company she was wary of creating another “Super Asian Cocktail.” Instead, the stirred combination of Japanese whisky, spiced pear syrup with a barspoon of Underburg channels one of the Japanese autumn microseasons known as “Wagtail Sings.”
Wagtail Sings
Caer Maiko, DrinkWell | Austin
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces Japanese whisky, preferably Toki
- 3 dashes mole bitters
- 1 barspoon Underburg
- 1/2 ounce spiced pear syrup (see Editor’s Note)
Garnish: lemon oils, cinnamon smoke
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a double rocks glass over a large ice cube.
- Stir to integrate.
- Garnish with lemon oils and cinnamon smoke.
Editor's Note
Spiced Pear Syrup:
2 cups pear juice
1 cup honey
1 cup demerara sugar
1 cinnamon stick
10 cloves
1 star anise
1 knob ginger
2 lemon peels
In a suacepan, heat the pear, honey and demerara. Add spices and let sit for 15 minutes. Strain.