Northern Rice
Refreshing and subtly sweet, with notes of pandan and sticky rice, custard, and shiso.
Inspired by: Bar Kabawa (New York)
Bay Leaf Daiquiri
Subtly savory daiquiri: rice spirit with bay leaf, lime, and sugar. Earthy and refined.
- Complexity
- 3/5
- Alcohol level
- Medium
- Type
- Sour
- Preparation
- Shaken
- Glass
- Coupe
- Ice
- None
Ingredients
SONKLIN60 ml2 oz
Fresh lime juice30 ml1 oz
Simple syrup15 ml0.5 oz
Dried bay leaves2-3
Steps
- 01Place 2-3 dried bay leaves into cocktail shaker
- 02Gently muddle bay leaves to release aromatics (without crushing them to pulp)
- 03Add SONKLIN, lime juice and simple syrup
- 04Add ice and shake vigorously for 15 seconds
- 05Double-strain into a chilled coupe
- 06Garnish with a single dried bay leaf
Notes
Bay leaf brings subtle savory complexity without making the drink taste herbal. The muddling technique matters - you want to bruise the leaf to release aromatics, not pulverize it. SONKLIN's delicate rice notes act as a perfect canvas for bay leaf's earthy, faintly floral character. This is a drink that rewards slow sipping and reveals nuances across the palate.
If you have fresh bay leaves on hand, they can be substituted for dried - use the same 2-3 count, though the flavor will be slightly greener and more assertive.
Batched Version: Prepare bay-infused SONKLIN by adding 3-4 bay leaves to a bottle of SONKLIN and letting steep 4-6 hours (not longer, or it becomes bitter). Use this infusion in place of straight SONKLIN, combine with lime juice and syrup, then batch and serve chilled.
History
The daiquiri emerged in Cuba in the early 1900s as a simple, elegant combination of rum, lime and sugar. It's one of the five basic cocktails and represents the apex of tropical rum culture. For a century it remained largely unchanged, until modern bartenders began experimenting with infusions and technique.
This Bay Leaf Daiquiri from Bar Kabawa in New York represents a new wave of Caribbean cocktail culture that honors tradition while opening doors to subtle, unexpected flavor directions. Using SONKLIN instead of rum shows how agricultural spirits from other traditions can capture that same spirit of place.
In the bottle
SONKLIN Original. Contemporary rice spirit from estate grown khao niew Sanpatong sticky rice. 6 plate reflux column still, coconut carbon filtration. 70 cL.
SONKLIN Original
