Battle of Trafalgar

It wasn't that long ago that my bar consisted of nothing but rye, vodka, gin, dry vermouth, and a couple of tooth-achingly sweet liqueurs. The fabulous bars in Boston slowly introduced me to the world of craft cocktails, but I didn't think I'd ever be able to replicate most of them at home without spending a fortune on liquor. Now I know that this isn't the case; while you'll probably never be able to make everything a great bar can make, you can equip yourself with a lot of really versatile spirits that will give you tons of options.

As I wrote when I introduced Batavia Arrack, the cocktail that changed my mind was the Battle of Trafalgar. This recipe, invented by Aaron Butler at Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square, was so unique and delicious to me and GG that we decided we wanted to be able to make it at home. I searched online for the recipe, assuming I wouldn't find it, but there it was on Cocktail Virgin Slut, straight from Butler himself. Lime juice and honey simple syrup, check. I knew of Pimm's No. 1, and I was excited to see it playing such a central role in a cocktail not involving fizz and fruit. St. Germain was another familiar ingredient, and though I'm not sure we owned a bottle, I had definitely been wanting one. And then there was the Batavia Arrack, entirely foreign at the time but now a familiar sight on our bar. Buying all three was pricey, but they lasted a really long time, and we made a lot more than just Battle of Trafalgars with them.

What is it about this cocktail that was so good that it induced two cheapskates to spend so much on liquor? We just love the flavor. It's deep and sophisticated, with hints of bitter orange and spice and honey-sweet citrus. I think it's a truly brilliant example of cocktail craftmanship.

History: As I said, this cocktail was invented by Aaron Butler at Russell House Tavern. The name refers to a famous naval battle fought by the British against the French and Spanish during the Napoleonic Wars in 1805. It was a great victory for the British, led by Admiral Lord Nelson, whose statue now stands in Trafalgar Square in London. Unfortunately Nelson took a bullet wound during the action and died not long after.

Butler was an English History major, so he was familiar with all this when he named the cocktail. The Pimm's No. 1 is a very British liqueur, and the lime and Batavia Arrack evoke thoughts of the Royal Navy. I can't really explain why, but I've always thought the name was a perfect fit. It tastes like a cocktail Lord Nelson might have enjoyed after a victory.

Battle of Trafalgar

1 1/2 oz. Pimm's No. 1

3/4 oz. St. Germain

3/4 oz. Batavia Arrack

1/2 oz. honey simple syrup*

1/2 oz. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass. Twist an orange peel over the cocktail and rub it along the sides of the glass, then discard. Toast Lord Nelson and enjoy.

*Honey simple syrup: combine equal parts water and honey and heat on the stove or in the microwave until honey is dissolved. Let cool before use.

Recipe from Cocktail Virgin Slut, courtesy of Aaron Butler.

Bottle Buy: Batavia Arrack

Most of the spirits I've recommended so far have been pretty common; I'd be shocked if the average bar didn't stock them, and a lot of people probably have a bottle at home. But Batavia Arrack is admittedly obscure. If you're building a bar on a limited budget, I wouldn't really recommend it. But if you've got the standard stuff and you're looking to branch out with some more unusual ingredients, Batavia Arrack might be for you.

I was first introduced to Batavia Arrack at Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square. They make an absolutely fabulous cocktail called a Battle of Trafalgar that I decided I had to learn to make at home. This was before I got really into cocktails, and my bar was pretty sparse. I found the recipe on Fred Yarm's blog Cocktail Virgin, and started hunting down the ingredients. And the most unusual one by far was Batavia Arrack.

Batavia Arrack is a spirit distilled from sugarcane and red rice on the island of Java, the most populous island in Indonesia. This was extremely surprising to me given that nearly 90% of Indonesia's population is Muslim; it doesn't really seem like the sort of place they would be making much liquor. But Arrack has been made there a long time, and it was brought to Europe by the Dutch East India Trading Company in the 17th century. Back then, Java was known as Batavia.

Arrack was produced in many Asian countries, but as it was made from a variety of ingredients, each sort is really its own unique spirit. Batavia Arrack seems to have been the most popular variety. Though most people today have never heard of arrack, in the 1600's it was an extremely common ingredient, particularly in punches. In fact, the word "punch" comes from the Sanskrit word for five, after the five ingredients in the original punch recipe brought from India: alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and spices. This exotic drink was brought to Europe by the British East India Company, and rapidly spread in popularity. Batavia Arrack was also brought over by the Dutch, who were soon exporting it all over the world for thirsty punch-drinkers.

If Batavia Arrack was a common ingredient in cocktails for nearly 200 years, why haven't most people heard of it today? It seems it was surpassed in popularity by Caribbean rum in the 1800's. Taxes on spirits imported from Asia led Europe to turn its gaze across the pond. The final nail in arrack's coffin was World War II, which essentially caused most countries to cease production. Java carried on at a much smaller scale, preserving this recipe for us today.

And now Batavia Arrack is making a comeback. With mixologists resurrecting old recipes and spirits left and right, it's no surprise that Batavia Arrack is finding its way into cocktails once again. Currently, there is only a single brand available in the US, van Oosten. It's definitely not at every liquor store, but it wasn't hard to find in Boston.

The flavor of Batavia Arrack is similar to rum, but somewhat coarser. It has a faint smokiness. Mixologists praise it for its ability to enhance the flavors of ingredients that it's paired with. Spirits importer Eric Seed, one of the folks responsible for making Batavia Arrack available in the US once again, compares it to vanilla extract: not good on its own, but amazing when mixed.

While the Battle of Trafalgar was my introduction to Batavia Arrack, it isn't really the best way to show off this new spirit; the main ingredient in it is Pimm's No. 1, which I haven't even talked about yet on this blog. We'll get to both Pimm's and the Battle of Trafalgar eventually, but for now I have a different Batavia Arrack recipe that I first tried at Green Street in Cambridge that gives this Javan spirit a starring role.

Avery's Arrack-Ari is basically a Batavia Arrack Daiquiri, but a Scotch wash really gives it a whole other dimension. The recipe recommends Talisker 10 year, which I didn't have; I don't think there's ever been more than one bottle of Scotch in our house, and the current one is a favorite I tasted in Scotland last month, Highland Park 12 year. I think it has the perfect balance between sweetness and smokiness for sipping on its own. It's probably not quite smoky enough for this recipe, so I added a little extra. That hint of smoke is just perfect with the Batavia Arrack, bringing out the spicy and smoky notes of the spirit.

History: This drink was invented by Avery Glasser, co-founder of Bittermen's.

Avery's Arrack-Ari

1 1/2 oz. Batavia Arrack
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
Talisker 10 year rinse (or other smoky Scotch)

Combine Batavia Arrack, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Pour a small amount of the Scotch (~1 tsp or less) into a cocktail or coupe glass and turn the glass to coat the sides. Strain the cocktail into the glass and garnish with a wedge of lime.

Recipe from cocktail virgin slut.