Taylor's Velvet Falernum Liqueur

Taylor's Velvet Falernum is a Caribbean-style liqueur built on lime, almond, ginger and warm baking spices. It sits in the sweet, low-proof end of the liqueur shelf, closer to a flavored syrup with a little spirit behind it than to a full-strength cordial. Falernum is usually pale and a touch cloudy. It's sweet up front, with lime oil and clove-like spice running through it and a soft almond finish. Ginger adds a mild peppery lift, which keeps the sweetness from going flat. Falernum is almost never the main spirit in a drink. It's a modifier that does the work of a spiced simple syrup and lime cordial at the same time. In tiki cocktails it supplies the nutty, citrusy sweetness that rum alone can't. It's a core ingredient in the Corn 'n' Oil, where a measure goes with dark rum and lime, and in the Zombie and the Test Pilot, where a small pour rounds out the spice and fruit. It also works in a Daiquiri-style sour. Swap a portion of the sugar for falernum, usually a half ounce or so, and the drink gains almond and clove without changing its structure. Because it's already sweet, taste before adding any extra sugar. Outside tiki drinks, a spoonful in a Whiskey Sour or a rye Old Fashioned brings gentle spice, and it pairs well with aged rum, bourbon and apple brandy. A splash in a hot toddy or mulled cider also works. For a simple long drink, pour about an ounce over ice and top with soda or ginger beer. Add a squeeze of lime to sharpen it. A lime wedge or a thin ginger slice makes a fitting garnish. Neat sipping isn't the usual approach, since the sweetness is the point. If you try it that way, serve it cold or over a large cube in a small rocks glass. Chill it after opening if you plan to use it slowly, and shake or stir it into drinks as you would any syrup-style modifier.