John The Baptist

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Cocktail History

The John The Baptist is a tiki cocktail that was created by Long Thai in New York City, New York. Unlike other tiki drinks, this one takes inspiration from Ireland and uses blended Irish whiskey in place of the usual rum. It then pairs the spirit with an unexpected list of ingredients, including apricot, white chocolate, pineapple, pistachio, cream, matcha green tea, absinthe, mint, and nutmeg, to make a thick and rich recipe with a light green color fit for St. Patrick’s Day.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Irish Whiskey: This is a spirit made in Ireland with malted or unmalted barley and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in wooden barrels to develop a smooth, oaky flavor.

Apricot Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with fermented apricot juice and yeast, which are distilled and aged to develop a smooth, stone fruit flavor.

White Crème De Cacao: This is a liqueur made with cacao, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a light, milk chocolate flavor.

Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe pineapples that has a sweet, tangy tropical flavor and bright yellow color.

Pistachio Syrup: This is a sweetener made with pistachios, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a fragrant, nutty flavor.

Half & Half: This is a dairy product made with equal parts milk and cream. I used Prairie Farm Half & Half.

Coconut Matcha Green Tea Powder Mix: This is a mixture of cream of coconut and matcha green tea powder, which is made with shade-grown Camellia sinensis leaves that are stone-ground into a fine powder with a rich, vegetal tea flavor.

Absinthe: This is a spirit made by distilling a neutral alcohol with wormwood, anise, fennel, and other botanicals to develop a strong, herbal flavor.

Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.

Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seeds of the nutmeg tree, which are dried and grated for their warm, aromatic flavor.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey
• 🔗 Blume Marillen Apricot Eau-De-Vie
• 🔗 Bols White Cacao Liqueur
• 🔗 Monin Premium Pistachio Syrup
• 🔗 Coco Lopez Real Cream of Coconut
• 🔗 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Powdered Matcha
• 🔗 Pernod Absinthe Supérieure
• 🔗 Morton & Bassett Whole Nutmeg

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Chef’s Knife: This is a large kitchen knife with a broad, sharp blade that’s used for chopping and slicing ingredients.

Pineapple Corer: This is a kitchen tool with a circular cutting blade that’s used for coring and slicing pineapples into rings or chunks.

Big Mouth Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a wide, bowl-shaped reamer and deep reservoir that’s used for efficiently extracting juice from large fruits.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Blender: This is an electric kitchen appliance with rotating blades that’s used for blending, puréeing, and emulsifying ingredients.

Grater: This is a kitchen tool with sharp perforated edges that’s used for finely shredding, grating, or zesting ingredients.

Highball Glass: This is a tall, slim glass that’s used for serving mixed drinks made with a larger proportion of non-alcoholic mixers.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer
• 🔗 Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Ninja UltraCrush Professional Blender
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Handheld Grater

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Frothy light green color

• Aroma: Nutmeg, mint, and noticeable coconut

• Taste: Predominantly sweet, nutty, and malty flavor

• Finish: Coconut, matcha, and pineapple notes

Kendall’s Take: “I don’t usually care all that much for the flavor of nuts in anything, but wow, does the flavor of the syrup really make this recipe incredibly unique. It’s meant to be made with a pistachio syrup, but I didn’t have that on hand on the day of our tasting so I used macadamia nut instead. I honestly loved both that version and the reshake with pistachio syrup I tried a few days later. Although certainly a bit of work to make, the coconut, matcha, and nut flavors all mix together beautifully. If you’re looking for something with the air of tiki but out of the box, the John The Baptist a great pick.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the publication Liquor.com.