Thai Rum, Thai Mead, and Japanese Botanicals
This is a stirred, spirit-forward cocktail that sits somewhere between a Rum Sour and a botanical-driven cocktail. It uses homemade mead as a low-ABV “softener” for the rum, resulting in a drink that has more weight and texture than a standard cocktail but isn’t as heavy as a pure spirit pour.
For more locally sourced cocktail recipes, check out the complete Capturing the Local Spirit series.
| Location | Phrom Phong, Bangkok: a Japanese enclave in downtown Bangkok, near Sukhumvit Soi 24. |
| Base Spirit | Phraya Elements Rum |
| The Modifier | Homebrewed Dry Thai Mead |
| Key Botanical | Yuzukawa (Japanese Yuzu Peel Syrup), Fresh Ginger |
What do you do with four liters of mead? This is a problem we faced when after I bought quite a large volume of wild Thai honey at a stall just outside Thailand’s largest Monkey Pod Tree. This recipe is helping us dispose of it in style, half-a-shot at a time.
The idea behind the Bee’s Shortcut is a play on the idea of honey and wood. Since Phraya Elements is aged in a way that pulls out a lot of natural honey and vanilla notes, using a dry mead made from Thai honey should act as an extension of the rum itself. The Yuzukawa syrup provides the citrus aromatics and oils from the peel to cut through the heavier fermented notes of the mead.
The Build
| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 60 ml | Phraya Elements Rum |
| 30 ml | Homebrewed Dry Mead |
| 15 ml | Yuzukawa Syrup |
| 2 slices | Fresh Ginger |
| 2 dashes | Citrus or Yuzu Bitters |
| 1 pinch | Sea Salt |
The Method
| 1. The Wake-Up: | Muddle the fresh ginger slices in your mixing glass or shaker to release the spicy juice. |
| 2. The Mix: | Add the rum, mead, yuzu syrup, and the pinch of salt. |
| 3. The Chill: | Fill with plenty of ice and stir for 20 seconds |
| 4. The Pour: | Double strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a chilled rocks glass or a coupe. |
| 5. The Finish: | Garnish with a thin slice of fresh ginger or a twist of lime peel to contrast the deep gold color of the drink. |
The back story: We’d usually use soda or juice to lengthen a drink, but using a low-ABV mead adds volume without thinning out the flavor. It keeps the profile “thick” and honors the fact that the rum and the mead share the same local honey DNA.
If you’re missing any of the above ingredients, why don’t you go to Thailand and pick them up? Take a look at our Thailand Travel Itineraries for some inspiration about what else to see while you make the shopping run of a lifetime.
