Drink in Focus: Bancha & Chestnut Alexander at Madara
A creamy, earthy, tea-infused twist on the classic brandy Alexander, this cocktail evokes Hong Kong’s famous winter chestnut carts
At the end of a long year, a comforting cocktail and human connection are always in order, especially during the colder winter months. While most might seek a hot toddy, an Irish coffee or even festive eggnog, the velvety, rich profile of the classic brandy Alexander – combining cognac, crème de cacao and cream – is an underrated option for something sweet and satisfying.
Leung, who usually prefers to limit the number of ingredients in a cocktail, pushes himself to his maximum of six for this drink: roasted bancha green tea leaves, cognac, a cask-aged mugi (barley) shochu, adzuki liqueur, Sakari matcha liqueur, and cream.
Everything about the cocktail – from ingredients and assembly to presentation and serving vessel – is tailored to evoke charcoal-roasted chestnuts, that local winter treat sold from street carts.
“Bancha has the exact same natural fragrance [as] fresh chestnuts,” Leung notes, adding that the leaves also have “that charcoal character, which is different from, say, chestnut paste on cakes or chestnut extracts or syrups”.
