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.

Bartending Tools

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

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Chef’s Knife: This is used to cut larger fruits and vegetables into slices for the garnish. I used the OXO Good Grips 8-Inch Chef’s Knife.

Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. I used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus, fruits, and vegetables. I used the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer.

Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. I used the OXO Good Grips 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.