# Formidable Dragon

Three rum styles, Amaro di Angostura, molasses, honey, and twin citrus make Martin Cate’s huge modern tropical drink dark, spicy, and surprisingly coherent.

Strength: 19% ABV before dilution

## Ingredients

- 22.5 ml [Fresh lemon juice](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/fresh-lemon-juice.md)
- 22.5 ml [Fresh lime juice](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/fresh-lime-juice.md)
- 15 ml [Honey syrup](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/honey-syrup.md) — Mix equal parts honey and warm water; refrigerate and use within two weeks.
- 22.5 ml [Molasses syrup](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/molasses-syrup.md) — Dissolve two parts white sugar and one-quarter part mild molasses in one part hot water; cool, refrigerate, and use within two weeks.
- 15 ml [Amaro di Angostura](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/amaro-di-angostura.md)
- 45 ml [Blended aged rum](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/blended-aged-rum.md)
- 30 ml [Black blended rum](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/black-blended-rum.md)
- 7.5 ml [Overproof Jamaican rum](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/overproof-jamaican-rum.md) — Use a lightly aged, pot-still Jamaican rum around 57% ABV.
- 30 ml [Soda water](https://stirred.fyi/ingredients/soda-water.md) — Use cold, freshly opened soda water.

## Glassware

Brandy snifter

## Garnish

- Orchid — Use one food-safe edible orchid.
- Mint sprig — Use one fresh, aromatic sprig.

## Method

1. Add all the ingredients to a spindle blender with 540 ml crushed ice and four to six small cubes.
2. Flash-blend at high speed for five seconds, then open-pour with a gated finish into a chilled large brandy snifter.
3. Add more crushed ice to fill and insert a swizzle stick.

## Related drinks

- [Demerara Dry Float](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/demerara-dry-float.md): Lime, passion fruit, maraschino, and aged rum make an unusually tart tropical drink whose overproof black-rum sidecar lets the drinker choose the danger.
- [The Expedition](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/the-expedition.md): Martin Cate’s cover-star tiki drink sets black rum and bourbon against lime, chicory coffee, three measured syrups, and soda for dark, layered refreshment.
- [Three Dots and a Dash](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/three-dots-and-a-dash.md): Donn Beach's wartime victory drink, joining aged agricole and blended rum with honeyed citrus and a precise current of island spice.
- [Navy Grog](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/navy-grog.md): A bracing Don the Beachcomber punch in which three distinct rums meet grapefruit, lime, honey, and a small sparkling lift.
- [Tradewinds](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/tradewinds.md): A lush tropical revival balancing two styles of rum with apricot, fresh lemon, and a generous measure of sweet coconut.
- [Doctor Funk](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/doctor-funk.md): Ester-rich Jamaican rum, two fresh citrus juices, grenadine, absinthe, and soda make an anise-led sparkling cooler with genuine Samoan ancestry and modern tiki force.
- [Jungle Bird](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/jungle-bird.md): A dark-rum tropical drink cut by pineapple, fresh lime, and the firm bitterness of Campari.
- [Hotel Nacional](https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/hotel-nacional.md): An elegant Cuban rum sour whose restrained pineapple, apricot, and lime suggest the tropics without sacrificing the spirit beneath them.

## References

- Canonical page: https://stirred.fyi/cocktails/formidable-dragon
- Photograph: https://stirred.fyi/assets/cocktails/formidable-dragon-58de79fb.webp
- Recipe source: https://potentpotables.app/drinks/formidable-dragon/