I’ve sung the praises of
Giffard’s liqueurs before, back when the Lost Horizon was the cocktail of the
week. I thought of them again, specifically Giffard Banane Du Bresil, when I
came across something called the Caramelized Banana Old Fashioned in a new
cocktail book from America’s Test Kitchen.
I experimented with caramelizing a banana slice and quickly decided that
the process was not a great fit for a Cocktail Club garnish. I don’t like store-bought banana chips, so I
sliced up a couple of fresh bananas, dunked them in diluted lemon juice, and
put them in the dehydrator overnight.
Much better. For the bourbon, I’d
heard that Old Forester is well known for its banana notes, especially the 1920
expression. At 115 proof, though, it was
much too hot until the ice melted a bit, by which time the balance was all out
of whack. Then I remembered that our old
friend Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon also has a touch of banana in its
profile. That did the trick. Walnut bitters to bring in a bit of banana bread
feel, plus aromatic bitters for the baking spices, and things fell into place.
The liqueur really rounds out the bourbon and gives the cocktail character,
while not tasting artificial. Just
enough complexity to make it worth the Club’s time. Cheers!
Recipe
0.75 oz Giffard Banane Du Brasil liqueur
1 dash Fee Brothers old fashioned aromatic bitters
1 dash Fee Brothers walnut bitters
Dried banana slice (optional)
-Stir the ingredients with ice. Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with banana slice.
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