The Cabinet: Crème de Banane

Ba-na-na-naaaaaaa

~ CRÈME DE BANANE ~
Banana liqueur. ~25% ABV. £18-£30 for 700ml
Friends with: rum. Also, cachaca, rye, brandy, bourbon and pisco. Sherry (yes). Lime, other tropical fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, cream, etc.

Suddenly, Crème de Banane is like Harry Styles. It’s everywhere! Where did it come from? I mean, I didn’t even bother to include the stuff in my book The Spirits - I hadn’t come across any banana cocktails that seemed worth making. It seemed declassé; naff; embarassing; the stuff of 1980s package holidays. But in the last five years or so, banana liqueur has catapulted itself to the forefront of every respectable backbar in Christendom. Venture out into one of our great metropoles and you’ll find banana Negronis, banana Old Fashioneds and banana Bing Bang Bongs on every menu. Why only the other day it was papped in a steamy clinch with Emily Ratjakowski on a national tabloid. Bananas!