Savour Cacique | the NoEl'd Fashioned
“I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.”
There can be no doubt - the yuletide season has landed on our summery shores. Here in the isles of perpetual June, the best place to find a winter chill is in the first few sips of an island concoction from Bon Vivants’s Kyle Jones. The creative force behind this Bahamian speakeasy, Kyle is to cocktails as a distortion pedal is to an electric guitar. His uncanny ability to twist and warp classic beverage recipes has filled a niche in Nassau nightlife most Bahamians didn’t even know was missing. This season’s #SavourCacique headlines the Noel’d Fashioned - a spicy, festive cover of an old favourite. If Kurt Cobain took a job as a mall Santa, he might need one (…or three) of these to recover from the experience.
An Old Fashioned, but with Reverb
season’s Greetings, distilled
Cacique. When crafting the Noel’d Fashioned, what was your inspiration?
Kyle. I wanted something to drink that would be worthy of a campfire in the middle of winter but still made sense here in sunny Nassau. Those classic holiday spices are what you get on the back end while the rum remains the star.
C. How is this a reinterpretation of a classic?
K. Your classic Old Fashioned is bourbon-based with just sugar, bitters and an orange twist. I have switched this to a rum Old Fashioned but added some holiday touches. I chose Coconut Cartel because of the unique way they finish their rum. They start with a beautiful juice but instead of cutting it as most do with water, they cut it with coconut water which lend these delicious coconut notes on the finish.
Ingredients:
2 oz Coconut Cartel Rum
1/4 oz St. Elizabeth All Spice Dram
1/4 oz Maple Syrup
3 oz Dashes of Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters
Orange Twist
Star Anise
How To:
1. Add the maple syrup, bitters and orange peel to your rocks glass.
2. Gently muddle these together, and add ice to fill the glass.
3. Top with the rum and the All Spice Dram and stir.
4. Garnish with spices, turn up the volume, and rock on.
“Those classic holiday spices are what you get on the back end while the rum remains the star.”
Rum, meet 90’s Grunge
C. What setting would you most like to drinking this in?
K. If you don’t happen to have a crackling fireplace and snow-covered mountaintops to look at out the window, a nice dimly lit bar will do the trick.
C. With what music does this drink pair well ?
K. I’d like to say a bit of Nat King Cole holiday tunes, but let's be honest, this is more Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden.
C. Do you have any favourite ‘bites’ that accompany the Noel’d Fashioned?
K. Definitely something nice and salty. You get plenty of sweetness out of the rum and maple, something like spicy nut mix or maybe some bacon wrapped figs.
C. If you could choose one person (living or dead) to drink a Noel’d Fashioned with, who would it be?
K. Ohh, now that is a tough one. I think I’d have to say either Stevie Wonder or Muddy Waters, two people who have certainly influenced me in different ways through their music. I NEED music all day everyday, it plays a huge role in who I am today and these two are who I have probably listened to the most in my life.
C. What’s “in” right now in the cocktail world?
K. I’ve been seeing a lot of coffee-based cocktails, a lot of funky, well-thought-out garnishes and if the Negroni was ever in it’s heyday, it is right now. There is no doubt that this is the time of the Negroni, whether it is the classic or a variation.
C. Any trend projections for 2020?
K. I think the garnish game is going to keep evolving. I have begun to see some smoke guns that shoot out a large bubbles filled with aroma vapors that the drinker pops when they are ready to sip, I have seen garnishes made from fruit by-product to cut waste and I have seen some pretty complex whipped creams and aerated garnishes for non creamy drinks as well. I love a good garnish, but ask that they’re used only as long as they makes sense for the cocktail I am drinking.
Bon Vivants frontman Kyle Jones serving up a Noel’d Fashioned.
Savour Cacique |Culinary Experiences
Here at Cacique, we love to push boundaries - be it art, music, tableware or the culinary experience. That is why we are always on the look out for fresh new talent, with whom we can re-imagine classic cocktails and dishes. For enquiries about Cacique Culinary Experiences - tailor-made to wow the most discerning of palettes - please feel free to contact us.
Looking forward to our next epicurious adventure! SMS ;)