Arcadia Cocktail recipe

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The Arcadia Cocktail boasts an unusual flavor combination: banana, grapefruit and anise. All combined with gin and its juniper-citrus notes.

Bright yellow Arcadia Cocktail in rocks glass with ice

The anise here is overshadowed by the combination of banana and grapefruit. The dominant notes are sweet and tangy, followed by anise and whatever herbal notes your gin of choice adds.

It’s a unique taste that’s on the sweet side, but more complicated than, say, your typical fruity cocktail.

Tilted angle view of Arcadia Cocktail with decorative swizzle stick

This is one of those drinks you have to savor for a few sips before you have a clear sense of how it tastes to you. By that time, you’re either intrigued and ready to finish the drink, or you’re disliking it enough to toss it and make something you prefer.

There’s no getting around that anise (black licorice) is just one of those flavors people love or hate, and even though it’s not so strong here, it is present.

For your gin, I suggest Beefeater gin. It actually has a hint of licorice to it, which brings out the

Arcadia Cocktail served on woven placemat

This drink works surprisingly well with a meal in which fennel is a side dish. The green part of fennel tastes a lot like anise, but the white part is used in cooking because it’s the same flavor but much milder (more like the flavor of a root vegetable).

So the drink and any fennel recipe compliment one another. Try this simple Roasted Fennel from Simple Recipes, in which the black licorice flavor is caramelized down to just a hint.

A good choice for the entree would be some type of delicate whitefish, like tilapia or mahi mahi. Try this Honey Lime Tilapia recipe.