Featured Recipe: Tropic of Virgo (Wayward Spirits Original)

Happy first day of fall from Wayward Spirits!  To kick off one of our favorite seasons, we present a new fall-themed cocktail: the Tropic of Virgo.

This drink was created by Wayward Spirits founder John Enoch, and inspired by his girlfriend Autumn.  Autumn is the founder of CoffeeMate, a coffee blog based in LA, where she writes coffee and coffee shop reviews, product reviews, industry thought pieces, and more.  Check out her blog here.

The Tropic of Virgo incorporates some of our favorite autumn tasting notes:  cold brew coffee, coconut, allspice, and orange.  The result is a tiki-themed cocktail that is a bit heavier and richer than usual, while still maintaining a tropical flavor profile.

Inspiration for the Tropic of Virgo

​The Tropic of Virgo was inspired by the short period of time between summer and autumn, when the weather begins to turn cold, and summery tiki cocktails feel somewhat out of season.

For months, John and Autumn looked for ways to join the world of tiki and coffee, both being heavily influenced by tropical climates, cultures and flavors.

We chose to name the drink the Tropic of Virgo because:

1. Essentially all of the world’s coffee is grown between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
2. September 22nd is the final day of the Virgo zodiac sign, and is the first day of fall.

Recipe/ Instructions:

Glassware:  Brandy Snifter

Ingredients:

• 2 oz cold brew concentrate (we use Lucky Jack Cold Brew Concentrate)
• 1 oz coconut syrup (we use Torani Puremade Coconut Syrup)
• ½ oz allspice dram (we use St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram)
• ½ oz dry curaçao (we use Pierre Ferrand)
• 1½ oz blended aged rum (we use El Dorado 8 year rum)
• ½ oz black blended overproof Rum (we use Plantation O.F.T.D)
• Orange bitters (5-6 dashes)
• Ground nutmeg (for garnish)

Cocktail Steps:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake for 10 seconds.  Pour over crushed ice, and top off with additional ice until the glass is full.  Add bitters.

Garnish:
Garnish with grated nutmeg and a dehydrated orange wheel.
 
Wayward Spirits Rating:
Overall Score – 4.5

The Tropic of Virgo is truly the perfect fall-themed tiki drink, combining autumn flavors (coffee and allspice) with tropical tastes (orange, coconut, and rum).  

If you are looking to make your Halloween or Thanksgiving holidays feel a bit more tropical this year, the Tropic of Virgo might be just the drink for you.  Plus, it’s a nice in between if you can’t decide between a night cap or post-dinner coffee.

​The only reason this drink falls shy of the full 5-star rating is because it is a bit rich, and hard to drink more than one or two at a time.