There are liquors you have on your home bar because they are cocktail staples (vodka, gin, rum, tequila), and then there are liquors you have because they're interesting and unusual. Those are the ones you take out to pour when you finally persuade that tall, blonde sales rep back to your place for a drink. She won't be impressed by your top-shelf vodka. You need to give her something unique. Something with an exotic taste and an upscale pedigree. Mix her a drink with
Navan.
A creation from the House of Grand Marnier, Navan is a liquor made with French cognacs and all-natural, hand-selected black vanilla from Madagascar, the most expensive spice after saffron. (The perfect story to tell your date as you mix her drink.)
The vanilla not only gives the liquor a unique taste, with notes of butterscotch and honey, but also smoothes out the cognac, making it extremely drinkable whether you drink it straight up. Or use it to give a new twist to your usual cocktails, like mixing equal parts of Navan and vodka with a little simple syrup and some fresh lime juice for a Vanilla Martini.
If you're looking to go truly unique, here are some recipes from Navan that'll show her your a guy who does things a little out of the ordinary.
FIRE & ICE
2 oz Navan
2 oz Pineapple sorbet
1 oz Dark rum
2 oz Coconut milk foam
1 tsp Sugar
Vanilla bean for garnish
Add ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Add vanilla bean garnish.
FRENCH PRESS
2 oz Navan
1 cup Espresso
1 oz Hennessy Privilege
Espresso beans for garnish
Add ingredients to a shaker with ice.
Shake and strain into a martini glass, or serve in rocks glass over ice. Garnish with espresso beans.
MON CHÉRI
2 oz Navan
7 Fresh cherries
1 oz Fresh lime juice
1 Can of cola
Mint leaf and vanilla bean for garnish
Add all ingredients except cola to a tall, ice-filled glass. Stir. Fill glass with cola and garnish with a mint leaf and vanilla bean.
YELLOW CAB
2 oz Navan
4 oz Fresh Pineapple puree
1 oz Fresh lime juice
1 oz Simple syrup
Splash of coconut milk
Add ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass.
$39
www.navanworld.com