amburana sazerac

2 1/2 oz Amburana-aged Cachaça (Salinas at home, Avua at work)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
4 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a double old fashioned glass pre-rinsed with absinthe (Kübler at home, Herbsaint at work), and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.I discovered the beauty of amburana wood notes with Peychaud's Bitters and absinthe one night on a whim at home circa 2016 when I reached for my bottle of Seleta Amburana Cachaça to make a Sazerac. Amburana is a tree that grows east of the Andes Mountains that was described in an 1920 American forestry journal as, "The Umburana of Brazil is a soft yellow wood so delightfully scented with vanilla that one is tempted to eat it." Besides the vanilla, it has been described as donating gingerbread, cocoa, cinnamon, sweet, savory, and spice notes to the spirit. And here in my late night experiment, I learned that it has a stunning synergy with the elements of a Sazerac. I started making these at Drink on occasion a few months ago and finally got one of my co-workers to start making them two weeks ago with our Avua Amburana with great success. With my Salinas Umburana at home, it proffered a woody, celery, and anise aroma to the nose. Next, a rich sip flowed into funky, grassy, balsa wood, rubber, light cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow. Some of those tasting notes belie the beauty of the combination but it was the best my vocabulary could do.