Amazonia Recipe

If using fresh pandan leaves: roughly chop leaves and bruise them slightly. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Add chopped pandan leaves and bring to a gentle simmer for 6–8 minutes to infuse aroma and color. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain out leaves, pressing to extract liquid. Cool completely and refrigerate. Yields about 6 oz. If using pandan extract, dissolve 1/2 tsp extract into the finished simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar) and adjust to taste.

Chill glass

Place a coupe or chilled rocks glass in the freezer or fill with ice water to chill while you prepare the cocktail.

Build & shake

Add 2 oz gin, 1/2 oz elderflower liqueur, 3/4 oz fresh lime juice, 1.5 oz coconut water, and 1/2 oz pandan syrup into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup).

Dry shake (optional)

If you want a slightly more integrated texture, close the shaker and shake vigorously without ice for 10 seconds (this step is optional but helps meld citrus and syrup).

Shake with ice

Add ice if you dry-shook, or just proceed if you didn't. Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is frosty and well chilled.

Strain

Discard ice or remove glass from freezer. Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or over fresh ice in a rocks glass using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer to keep out small ice shards and pandan solids.

Garnish & finish

Option 1: Slide a single pandan leaf across the rim or lay it on the surface for aromatic presentation. Option 2: Use a lime wheel on the rim. For a toasted-coconut accent, lightly toast 1 tsp desiccated coconut in a dry pan until golden and sprinkle on top or on the glass rim. Serve immediately.