iguaçu

3/4 oz Novo Fogo Cachaça
1 1/2 oz Cardamaro
1/2 oz Demerara Syrup
1/2 oz Orange Juice
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Mondays ago, I headed over to State Park after having dinner with Andrea at Cambridge Brewing Company. For a first drink, I asked bartender Evan Harrison for the Iguaçu. Evan described how the recipe was created by Andrew Ianazzi who really likes Cardamaro and Blood & Sands. In crafting the Iguaçu, Andrew found that Cardamaro was akin to a combination of vermouth and cherry liqueur in that classic, and he crafted this as a cachaça drink. Keeping the State Park cocktail naming convention, this one was dubbed after a national park in Brazil.
The Iguaçu offered up orange oil aromas that led into a rich, grape sip. The swallow was much more complex though with funky rum, herbal, and orange notes and a spice-laden finish.