Name: Let's Go Bananas
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 3 slice Banana; 50 ml Light white rum; 15 ml Dry vermouth; 15 ml Lime juice; 10 ml Sugar syrup (2:1); 2.5 ml Pastis; 10 ml Chilled water

Let's Go Bananas
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Photographed in an Urban Bar Alto Coupe 18cl

Ingredients:
3 slice	Banana (preferably overripe)
1 ²⁄₃ oz	Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)
¹⁄₂ oz	Strucchi Dry Vermouth
¹⁄₂ oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₃ oz	Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
¹⁄₁₂ oz	Pastis
¹⁄₃ oz	Chilled water omit if using wet ice

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
Prepare garnish of dried banana chip.
MUDDLE banana slices with rum in base of shaker.
Add other ingredients and SHAKE with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Garnish with a dried banana chip

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Dry vermouth - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Fresh and enlivening. This banana cocktail is a delight and makes for a great and most unusual aperitivo. Be sure your bananas are ripe/overripe - you'll be surprised how much flavour just three slices contribute, not to mention how much they clog your strainers.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe created for Bacardí Legacy 2017 by Nicolas Munoz at Bespoke Cocktail Bar in Paris, France. The original recipe: 3 slices ripe banana, 60ml Bacardí Carta Blanca rum, 15ml Noilly Prat Original Dry, 20ml lime juice, 7.5ml sugar syrup, and 1 spoon pastis.

Nicolas says, "With this cocktail, I wished to celebrate the return of 'fun' in establishments offering quality cocktails. What better than bananas to symbolize this - served in a coupette, a glass historically associated not only with parties and fun, but also with quality and class. This cocktail wonderfully complements the notes of the Bacardí Carta Blanca rum. Cheers and... let's go bananas!"

Alcohol content:

1.3 standard drinks
17.09% alc./vol. (17.09° proof)
17.5 grams of pure alcohol

More Aperitivo/aperitif cocktails

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 9 comments for Let's Go Bananas.
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Florian Ruf

17th May at 12:46

Made several cocktails and unintentionally doubled the measure of vermouth. I do not say it is better, but at least the result is very good and interesting.

Florian Ruf

5th May at 13:25

Using Absinthe instead of Pastis (same proportions), I found today that a Absinthe spray on the ready cocktail in the glass gives a nice touch.

Florian Ruf

26th April at 17:53

Okay, I broke my promise... I suggest Havana Club 3yo because of the a bit more rum taste. For this cocktail I would never use a rum without distinctive taste like Bacardi blanco,

Florian Ruf

13th July 2023 at 18:08

This cocktail gets even better by blending with ice than shaking.

Dael Yoann

28th January 2023 at 12:28

Amazing taste but please, give me the tips for "fine" strain this ^^'

Dael Yoann

8th March 2023 at 11:27

I just bought a new strainer, and it is true, the "right" fine strainer is the key
Yummi yummi

Simon Difford

28th January 2023 at 13:38

Having the right fine strainer helps - a large capacity with a mesh that is not too fine. (e.g. the Cocktail Kingdom Coco strainer we sell.) Using a bar spoon to agitate and push through helps, as does knocking the side of the strainer with the base of the tin you are pouring from.

Florian Ruf

22nd July 2022 at 11:37

Last post to this cocktail, I promise. I did the original recipe today. Very good, but we agreed that Simons version results in a better cocktail ;-).

Florian Ruf

31st December 2021 at 16:51

We did it again and liked it at least the same as the first time.

Florian Ruf

6th November 2021 at 23:23

Excellent cocktail. I used overripe baby bananas which gave a delicious flavour and replaced the pastis with absinthe. This worked simply perfect.

Charl Engela

3rd June 2020 at 20:59

You really need to specify what quantity '1 spoon' means. I made the exact recipe and used a barspoon of pastis - about 7.5ml - and the pastis totally dominated the drink - the banana flavour was way in the background. I think 2.5ml, or even a rinse, would have been about right.

Simon Difford

4th June 2020 at 07:14

Nicolas's original Legacy recipe specified "1 spoon" and this is usually considered as being 5ml as per Bonzer spoon so I have changed the above recipe to stipulate this as you suggest.