Listen, I am new at this whole “naming cocktails” thing. You’ll have to tell me in the comments when I’m on or off.

I’ve been playing with New Deal Distillery’s new Cascadia D’Amore for a few weeks now. It’s a gorgeous bitter liqueur, primarily flavored like gentian, which can be used well in all kinds of ways. One of my favorites has just been to open it up a little bit with a splash of soda. But it also makes a great white negroni!

For a while I struggled to put my own spin on it. The teams at New Deal and Bull in China have already come up with tons of great cocktail recipes (and I have had fun trying them!)

I think what I was wanting, but not finding yet, was something a little fruitier. Sometimes you want a cocktail where you can sip slowly and revel in the bitterness. I love that type of drink, to be sure.

And some days, you want some fruity, tart sweetness to play with the bitterness. That’s what I was craving as I experimented with different juices and liqueurs. One morning (yes, shut up, I’m a food blogger. When the muse calls, I must pay attention), the idea came to me: I was searching for something tropical. I immediately walked to the store to pick up some mango juice.

What resulted is a not-too-boozy, fruity, floral sip of happiness. I’m really proud of this one, from the mango juice to the pineapple sage garnish. I hope you enjoy it!

Vacation Vibes Mango Cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 oz. mango juice
• 1 oz. Cascadia d’Amore bitter liqueur
• 1/2 oz. orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 dashes peach bitters (Optional)
• Pineapple sage for garnish (or regular sage!)

Instructions

1. Add mango juice, Cascadia D’Amore, orange liqueur, lemon juice and bitters to a shaker full of ice and shake until very cold. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass and garnish with pineapple sage sprig.