double dutch

1 oz Bols Genever
1 oz Batavia Arrack
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/4 oz Orgeat
1 dash Angostura Bitters
4-6 leaf Mint

Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass, fill with ice, and garnish with a mint sprig.

Two Mondays ago, Andrea and I ventured down to the Southend to visit Sahil Mehta at Estragon. For a first drink, I scanned Sahil's notebook and spotted a curious recipe with Batavia Arrack and Genever, and the combination was one that I had only seen once before in Ricky Gomez' Weirding Way created at Portland's Teardrop Lounge. The rest of the elements made me think of a Mai Tai at first, but the orgeat and falernum duo had been utilized so well in Sam Ross' Tony Rocky Horror. For a name, Sahil proposed Double Dutch after the fact that the Dutch import Batavia Arrack and produce Genever.
In the glass, the Double Dutch proffered a mint and malt aroma. Next, the Genever's malt continued on in the sip to mingle with the lime notes, and the swallow combined Genever and the funky Batavia Arrack flavors that were accented by nutty orgeat and mint as well as a finish of allspice, lime, clove, and ginger.