regal amburana

2 oz Aged Cachaça (Seleta Gold)
7/8 oz Lime Juice (3/4 oz)
3/4 oz Honey Syrup (I used 1:1)
2 inch Grapefruit Swath

Shake with ice, strain into a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a lime wedge (omit).
After work two Saturdays ago, my thirst led me to Sasha Petraske: Regarding Cocktails. There, I was lured in for a Daiquiri-like number called the Regal Amburana. Bartender Gil Bouhana took Milk & Honey's love of Daiquiris and used a piece of grapefruit peel as a bittering agent which became known as the "Regal" treatment. For a spirit, he opted for Avua Amburana, and I matched it with a cachaça aged for 2 years in amburana casks from Seleta. Once shaken and strained, the Regal Amburana gave forth grassy, floral, and grapefruit aromas. Next, honey and lime mingled on the sip, and the swallow showcased the funky grassy rum and the honey-floral notes from the syrup with a grapefruit finish from the peel.