Born A Star Recipe

Make syrup

Combine sugar, water, and crushed cardamom pods in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes to infuse, then remove from heat and let steep 15–20 minutes. Strain out cardamom pods and cool completely. Store refrigerated; use 0.75 oz for one cocktail.

Prepare glass

Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass by filling with ice water while you prepare the drink (or place in freezer for a few minutes).

Extract passionfruit

Halve the passionfruit and scoop the pulp and seeds into a small bowl. If you prefer less texture, press the pulp through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving 0.5 oz strained juice and ignoring most seeds. For a livelier presentation keep the pulp and seeds.

Build the cocktail

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 oz vanilla vodka, the passionfruit pulp (or 0.5 oz strained juice), 0.75 oz cardamom simple syrup, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.25 oz Fernet. Add 6 ice cubes.

Shake

Seal the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the exterior of the shaker is cold and well-chilled. This both chills and slightly dilutes the drink to balance acidity and spirit.

Strain and serve

Discard the ice water from the chilled glass. If you kept passionfruit seeds in the mix, use a Hawthorne strainer and pour into the glass. If you strained the pulp earlier, double-strain the cocktail through a fine mesh to create a silky finish. Add 4 fresh ice cubes to a rocks glass if you prefer on-the-rocks; otherwise serve neat in the chilled coupe.

Garnish

Float a thin lime wheel on the surface. Optionally, place a lightly toasted cardamom pod or sprinkle a tiny pinch of ground cardamom on top for aromatic lift. If using fresh passionfruit halves, float half of a passionfruit (seeds up) for visual effect.