golden throne

1 oz Batavia Arrack
1 oz Von Humboldt's Turmeric Cordial
1/2 oz Honey Syrup
1/2 oz Lime Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime wheel.

A few weeks ago, I received a sample of a turmeric-flavored spirit from the Von Humboldt line of the Tamworth Distillery. Their website provided a description of, "Turmeric on its own is quite a powerful, bitter flavor, so our distillers combine it with the floral piquant of coriander seed and rose petal to smooth things out, then lemon zest to bring them together, underscoring the bitterness and opening up the spice on the nose. The final result is worthy of any discerning globetrotter’s amaro line-up: an earthy modifier that is able to stand up in a cocktail as a base, serve as an intriguing addition to a drink, or be sipped on its own as a digestif." In looking for a direction, I asked my chef what pairs well with turmeric, and one of his responses was honey, so I set out in that direction. The cordial is definitely far from being as sweet as a syrup or a liqueur like Yellow Chartreuse, so I felt comfortable utilizing it as a split spirit. In thinking about turmeric, I thought of India and soon Indonesia, and I opted for including Batavia Arrack in the mix in a Scofflaw sort of format. For a name, I thought about how the Indian god Ganesha is often linked with turmeric and yellowness as well as sitting on a golden throne.
The Golden Throne offered a lime and funky Batavia Arrack aroma that was accented by the turmeric's gingery notes on the nose. Next, the honey paired well with the lime on the sip, and the Batavia Arrack's funk paired well with the earthy-gingery spice on the swallow.