Grand Pagoda
2 oz Moet Hennessy
.75oz dry curaçao
.75 oz lemon grass syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
.25 oz orgeat
2 dashes of grapefruit and orange bitters
Shaken and served over ice with amaretto float
This drink was inspired culturally; not by the place, but by the spirit behind it. In my life, I’ve noticed that the Southeast Asian community here in Rhode Island enjoys drinking Hennessy/cognac. My family was no different, so I also built a love for it. The first great cocktail I had was a Mai Tai, made for me by the head chef at Agawam Hunt when I worked there. So when I started learning how to bartend at Clementine, I decided I wanted to make a cocktail combining the two, with the vision of being able to share what I like, but for others to enjoy as well, since many people have never really tried cognac. I used Hennessey cognac for the base. For the sweetener, I wanted to use a flavor from my home life, and I chose lemongrass for its slight spice and herbal notes. I removed the pineapple juice completely from the original recipe because I felt it always overpowered the drink. Dry curaçao replaced the Cointreau just for personal preference. Orgeat was minimized to increase focus on the flavor of the cognac, and the amaretto float added an extra layer of depth to the drink. •
