The Story Behind The Soft Landing

At the crossroads of the Hot Buttered Rum and the Air Mail, one will find the Soft Landing, a festive fusion developed by Kathryn “Pepper” Stashek at NYC’s Caribbean hotspot Kabawa. To build the cocktail, Stashek took inspiration from rum cake, a classic Caribbean dessert.

To recreate the flavors of the beloved holiday treat, the cocktail combines a brown butter fat-washed rum base with two dashes of pecan bitters. Sweetened with rich honey syrup, brightened with fresh lemon juice, and topped with Cava, the Soft Landing combines the comfort of holiday classics with the celebratory nature of ringing in the New Year.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce brown butter-washed rum*
  • 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 ounce honey syrup (2:1 honey water)
  • 2 dashes El Guapo Chicory Pecan Bitters
  • 3 ounces Cava (or more), to top

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients except Cava to a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Shake until cold and fine strain into a flute.
  3. Top with Cava.

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Yield: 1
Updated: 2025-12-29

*Brown Butter-Washed Rum Ingredients

  • 400 grams butter
  • 1 liter rum (El Dorado 5-Year)

*Brown Butter-Washed Rum Directions

  1. Add butter to a saucepan over medium heat and stir until browned.
  2. Pour rum and browned butter into a neutral container and let sit until the butter solidifies.
  3. Refrigerate overnight.
  4. Strain the solids through a superbag or cheesecloth and store remaining rum in freezer.
Soft Landing

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