Drinks

Fly as a Kite

By: The Local Palate
The Fly as a Kite cocktail from Maya in Charleston

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.

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yields

Makes 1 cocktail

    Ingredients
  • 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
  • Rose water syrup
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 6 cups sugar
  • 1 ounce rose water
steps

Make the Mexican cinnamon-rose water syrup

  1. 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.
  2. 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

  1. 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. 
  • Recipe From
    Maya in Charleston
  • Contributing City
    Charleston
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