Challenged with Madras curry powder by Micah Melton of the Aviary, Graham Elliot Bistro bartender Dave Michalowski initially thought of doing a tiki-style cocktail. That changed once he got a whiff of the spice blend in full flower. His “awakening moment”? It smelled like maple syrup.
The name of the drink comes from the last line of the sonnet “Prayer,” written by the 17th-century metaphysical poet George Herbert, a compatriot of John Donne.
View a slideshow of Dave Michalowski making a Madras curry powder cocktail.
Step-by-step instructions for making a Graham Elliot Bistro bartender’s Madras curry cocktail
Dave Michalowski demonstrates his spicy-sweet rum-based drink the Land of Spices.
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, and stir. With a dropper, rinse the rim of a rocks glass with an additional dose of curry tincture. Strain the drink over a large ice cube in a rocks glass and garnish with a basil sprig.
