Slow Boat to China-China

There's a great old standard "I'd Like to Get You on a Slow Boat to China". It was published in 1948 and covered by singers  ranging from Rosemary Clooney to Paul McCartney. The idea behind the lyrics is that if you want to spend an extended period of time with someone, a slow boat trip to a far away place would work well (assuming the other person wants to be there with you). If you're looking for a soundtrack to this cocktail there's a great version sung by Dee Dee Bridgewater on YouTube.

So what's this tune got to do with our drink? Well, we have been experimenting with Bigallet China-China Liqueur which (despite the repetition of "China" in it's name) is a product of France, where it's been produced by Bigallet since 1875.  You can use the link above to go to Bigallet's website where there's a cool video of them making liqueur. China-China is a blend of sweet and bitter orange peels macerated in beet neutral alcohol and redistilled with other plants and spices. The result is a pretty complex tasting liqueur that seems both sweet and bitter with strong spice notes. China-China is typically consumed neat as a digestif, but we had a feeling that it would be great in a cocktail.

After playing around with China-China and a variety of spirits, we hit upon this drink that is akin to the Cosmopolitan. We used pomegranate juice in place of cranberry and then tweaked the proportions of the liquor that we typically use in our Cosmopolitan recipe. In the end, we think this would be a nice cocktail to enjoy on a slow boat to somewhere - or to sip while listening to an old song. We've provided a couple of our original watercolor paintings to help set the scene.

Cheers!

Slow Boat to China-China Cocktail with At the Dock - original watercolor by The Cocktail Artist

Slow Boat to China-China

2 ounces Vodka (we use District Made Vodka)
1 1/2 ounces Bigallet China- China Liqueur
1 ounce Pomegranate juice (Pom Wonderful)
1/2 ounce Fresh squeezed lime juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well (20 - 30 seconds) and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

Slow Boat to China-China Cocktail and the ingredients

Fishing - original watercolor painting by The Cocktail Artist


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