Forget Expecto patronum. Harry Potter should have learned about oleo saccharum at Hogwarts. Translated from Latin, it means “sugared oil.” The process is simple: Put some orange and lemon peels in a nonreactive bowl, stir in a fair amount of sugar (1 cup per batch at Eclipse), wait a few hours and enjoy the oils of your labors. The sugar draws out the citrus oil from the peels, and, when added to a cocktail, functions both as a sweetener, flavor agent and thickener.
Eclipse’s Dr. No features this syrupy flavor bomb. A take on a West Indies punch, the crew at Eclipse gives Dewars Scotch a fat wash with coconut oil, then shakes it up with Jamaican rum, green tea, passion fruit preserves, lime juice, the oleo saccharum and Pierre Ferrand Pineau Des Charentes (a sweet, French aperitif wine). Double strained over an extra-large ice cube, this winter tiki starts with a citrus and banana hit, and ends with a creamy, coconut notes and a hint of funk from the rum. The fresh grated cinnamon gives it a lightly spiced nose, and the oleo saccharum gives the drink flavor, sweetness and pleasantly thick body throughout.
This article appears in December 2015.