The Story Behind The Shadow Boxer
Ivy Mix, owner of the Brooklyn-based bar Leyenda and author of “Spirits of Latin America,” says her aim when making cocktails is to help people “explore ingredients that may have been completely unfamiliar before.” One such ingredient is cachaça, a Brazilian spirit made from fermented sugarcane that can be found in Mix’s Shadow Boxer cocktail, a drink she describes as “green floral and bitter.”
Made with cachaça, Campari, dry vermouth, apricot eau de vie, and pamplemousse liqueur, Mix writes that the Shadow Boxer started with the classic Negroni in mind, but the drink “ended up something very much its own thing.”
A staple on Leyenda’s menu, the Shadow Boxer’s cachaça base replaces the more traditional gin. Mix uses Yaguara, a blended silver cachaça, with a hint of European oak, to complement the Campari’s bitter yet sweet notes. The apricot eau de vie and pamplemousse liqueur delicately balance the drink.
Related Reads & Recipes
More Cachaça Recipes To Explore
The Second Date Recipe:
Go full Meg Ryan with this cachaça and Champagne cocktail that plays off of Difford's You've Got Mail, a riff on the classic drink, the Airmail.
The Tropical Hibiscus Sour Recipe:
The light, floral nose of Cachaça plays off of tart lemon juice and bright hibiscus in this fun, frothy sour. Learn how to make it with this recipe.
Caipirinha:
Get our recipe for a great Caipirinha. Learn everything you need to know to make a perfect Caipirinha.
The Pear of Aces:
Cachaça lends a more herbaceous and floral edge to cocktails and stars in the Pear of Aces. Check out the full recipe here!
