southern belle

1 1/2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Giffard Apricot Liqueur
1 Egg White

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a coupe glass, twist a lemon peel over the top and discard, and garnish with a mint sprig.

For a final cocktail at the Baldwin Room at Sichuan Garden II, I requested the Southern Belle from bartender Joel Atlas. Joel described how this egg white Sour was bartender Vannaluck Hongthong's entry into the upcoming Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender competition that bar manager Ran Duan won this past year. Instead of the peach flavors that the name conjured up for me, Van opted for another orchard fruit, namely apricot. Moreover, I was also not sure if the name reflected the style which is similar to the Lady series including the White Lady and Perfect Lady.
The Southern Belle curtsied to the nose with a lemon oil, mint, and cinnamon bouquet. While the sip was a creamy lime flavor, the swallow showcased the gin's botanicals and the apricot along with growing cinnamon notes on the finish. As the cinnamon notes increased, it became apparent how elegant of a flavor pairing the apricot and cinnamon was.