Inspiration for Surreal

Based on March’s theme of oranges and avocados, the fragrant orange blossom (the state flower of Florida) proved an attractive anchor to the recipe design. It also symbolized good fortune, a good start for the spring.

Refreshing cucumber was added to the orange blossom water to add a distinctive green note to the flavor of the cocktail. This was further enhanced by the choice of Zubrowka, the unique bison grass Polish vodka. This legendary spirit was thought to have aphrodisiac and virility strengthening properties; in fact, it was banned in America till the late 1970s.

Though resplendent with fragrance, the mouth-feel of the drink was still rather thin, thus bananas that were just beginning to ripen were selected, providing a good amount of texture to the recipe.

Having used some uncommon cocktail ingredients so far, I decided to complete the recipe design with something familiar, and what can be more familiar than coffee? Kahlua, arguably one of the world’s most popular liqueurs, provided the coffee dimension to the cocktail; the sugar content of this Mexican coffee liqueur also added more body to the drink.

This helped to create an intriguing combination that is the essence of this cocktail, with sensations that are familiar yet surprising. Surreal...