Have you ever tried Suze? I introduced this bright yellow, gentian-flavored bitter liqueur more than two years ago and haven’t used it on this blog since. The reason is that, well, it’s intense. It’s very bitter and vegetal – not a bottle I’d recommend to cocktail newbies. Most drinks that I’ve tried that call for a large amount of Suze are just not my favorites. I’ve begun steering away from any recipes with more than 1/4 oz.
That was until I spotted the recipe for the Tour le Carbet on Subtle Tiki‘s Instagram page. This drink, which contains 1/2 oz. of Suze, somehow manages to temper its more extreme flavors and bring out its best qualities. Subtle Tiki is a good way to describe it. It’s relatively simple to make (four ingredients) and unassuming in its presentation compared to the average Tiki drink. Its base is rhum agricole, a type of white rum made from fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses. This gives the rum a distinct flavor that is more vegetal or grassy than other rums – a great choice to mix with Suze. Rhum agricole is also an excellent partner for the bitter French liqueur because of its origins in the French Caribbean.
If you don’t have a bottle of Suze, you can try substituting another bitter liqueur in this drink. Or try the Trader Vic classic that inspired it, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, which is made with Demerara rum instead of agricole and orange Curaçao in place of Suze.
History: The Tour le Carbet was created by Shannon Mustipher, and is one of the recipes in her fabulous book Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails. Le Carbet is a town on the island of Martinique, where rhum agricole is made.
Tour le Carbet
2 oz. rhum agricole
3/4 oz. Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz. Suze
3/4 oz. lime juice
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a slice of lime or a lime twist.