Concocted at the spacious and high-end Mexican eatery on Charleston’s Upper King Street, Maya, the Fly as a Kite is a refreshing winter cocktail that blends bright citrus with warming baking spices. Starting with cleansing mint, tart lemon, fresh grapefruit, and aromatic cinnamon, the recipe gets festive with a splash of tequila, grapefruit liqueur, and funky Batavia Arrack. The rum liqueur is made from fermented sugarcane and red rice wine and has a musky, fruity flavor profile. It makes a fun addition to the bar cart for anyone wanting to replicate this Holy City cocktail.
recipe 
yields
Makes 1 cocktail
1 ounce blanco tequila
½ ounce Giffard Pamplemousse Liqueur
½ ounce Batavia Arrack
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce grapefruit juice
¾ ounce Mexican cinnamon rose water syrup (recipe follows)
Garnish: mint and cinnamon stick
3 cinnamon sticks
6 cups sugar
1 ounce rose water
Ingredients
Rose water syrup
steps
Make the Mexican cinnamon-rose water syrup
- Toast cinnamon sticks in a saucepan on medium heat for 5 minutes, shaking occasionally so that they don’t burn. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the sugar and stir till completely dissolved. Drop to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove syrup from heat and let cool for 30 minutes. Strain into a large quart container and stir in rose water.
Fly as a Kite
- In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, pamplemousse liqueur, Batavia Arrack, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, syrup, and fill with ice. Shake well until a frost forms around outside of the shaker, and strain drink into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with mint and a smoking cinnamon stick.
Date Published: 02.10.23
