Featured Recipe: The Phoenix (Wayward Spirits Original)

Keeping with the fall-themed tiki recipes we have recently been posting, we present another Wayward Spirits original cocktail:  “The Phoenix”

The Phoenix strikes a unique balance between bitter and sweet -- blending guava, citrus, cinnamon, Campari and Rhum Agricole.  The results is a light-yet-complex tiki cocktail that tastes like a distant cousin of the Jungle Bird.

The following post provides the inspiration for the drink, necessary ingredients and steps for making it at home.  

Let us know what you think in the comments - cheers!

Inspiration for The Phoenix

The Phoenix was created by Wayward Spirits founder John Enoch after soaking up some sun pool-side in Los Angeles. 

When choosing between bitter and sweet cocktails, John has always leaned slightly more towards bitter - often opting for Campari, Aperol, or Gin-based cocktails in summer time. 

Recipe/ Instructions:

Glassware: Collins glass

Ingredients:

• 2½ oz Bundaberg Guava Soda
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz cinnamon syrup
• 1 oz Campari
• 1½ oz Rhum Agricole Vieux (we use Rhum Clement Rum VSOP)
• 5-6 dashes orange bitters

Cocktail Steps:
Combine all ingredients in a collins glass with crushed or chipped ice.  Swizzle with a bar spoon or swizzle stick.  Add orange bitters.

Garnish:
Garnish with a pineapple frond or lemon wedge.
 
Wayward Spirits Rating:
Overall Score – 5

"The Phoenix" is tiki’s answer to the Aperol Spritz or Negroni -- balancing all of the major tasting preferences: bitter, sweet, fruity, citrusy, savory, boozy and complex.  

It’s also a fantastic drink for friends or family members who say they are not a fan of traditional tiki drinks (i.e. they imagine overly-sweetened resort drinks or poorly made Mai Tais).

Give the drink a try, and let us know that you think!  It’s an especially tasty cocktail for those warm fall days that still feel like summer.