morango tango

2 oz Cachaça preferably Amburana wood-aged (Seleta Gold)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1 large Strawberry
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters
2 dash Chocolate Bitters (Bittermens Mole)

Muddle the strawberry in the simple syrup, add the rest of the ingredients, and stir with ice. Double strain into a glass pre-rinsed with absinthe or Herbsaint (Herbsaint) and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

Two Tuesdays ago, I was still thinking about how tasty the strawberry-Peychaud's Bitters aspect of the Christopher Tracy's Parade was. The Peychaud's part got me thinking about the Sazerac, and I recalled the last Sazerac that I made for a guest at Nahita: one made with Amburana wood-aged Avua Cachaça. I discovered the wonder of Amburana Cachaça Sazerac late one night using my bottle of Seleta Gold at home on a whim that turned out to be an amazing flavor combination between the wood and the spices from the bitters and the absinthe. Strawberries and Brazil do have a strong connection as that berry grows quite well there; besides numerous strawberry festivals in Brazil, the fruit makes it way into their classic cachaça drink the Batida. Therefore, I wondered how it would fare in the Sazerac especially given the success of other strawberry-absinthe drinks like the Cantante Para Mi Vida and the Strawberry's Revival.
For a name, I discovered that the Portuguese for strawberry was morango, and thus, the Morango Tango came about. Once prepared, the bouquet greeted the nose with lemon, anise, cachaça's funk, and berry aromas. Next, the berry notes continued into the sip, and the swallow offered a complex array of grassy funk, strawberry, chocolate, and anise flavors. A strawberry syrup would make for an easier build here, but the á la minute-ness of it all makes it easier to replicate on a whim.