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Bossa Nova Baby Cocktail Was Made for Day Drinking (Recipe & Video)

By Cator Sparks Published March 29, 2022

We aren’t ashamed to admit that we love a tipple during the day. While we don’t (usually) imbibe in the office, we may just pour one during breakfast on weekends. The key is to day drinking is not getting absolutely hammered. We don’t want to be slurring by lunch and stumbling by dinner; we just want to have that grin-inducing buzz throughout the day.

Kevin King of the famed McCrady’s Tavern — chef icon Sean Brock runs this joint and, yes, George Washington did dine here in 1791 — in Charleston, South Carolina, introduced us to his favorite day drink, the Bossa Nova Baby cocktail, and we are happy to let you know: it went down very well.

bossa nova baby cocktail — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Kevin let us in on how he came up with this signature drink:

“I was looking to make a light, refreshing, and low ABV cocktail for our list, something that people could enjoy during the day and not get hammered. The cocktail is basically a riff on two classics: the Caipirinha and the Last Word. I wanted to introduce people to cachaça (Brazilian rum distilled from fermented sugar cane juice) in a fun and interesting way, and pairing it with aloe vera juice — something people have heard of but probably have never tried — seemed like the perfect fit. Aloe juice is super refreshing and has a natural sweetness, which means I didn’t need to add sugar to balance out the acidity from fresh lime.”

“I rounded it out and added a little depth with the herbal Dolin Génépy and aromatic Cocchi Americano. It is finished with a pinch of salt to get people salivating a little. Then it is garnished with a cucumber slice, so that’s the first thing a customer smells. The name derives from the Brazilian music genre and is directly named from the fun and exciting hit ‘Bossa Nova Baby’.”

Bossa Nova Baby
(Created by Kevin King, McCrady’s Tavern, Charleston, South Carolina)

1 oz Novo Fogo Cachaça
0.5 oz Dolin Génépy
0.5 oz Cocchi Americano
0.75 oz
Aloe Vera Juice
0.25 oz
fresh lime juice
1 pinch
Maldon salt
Cucumber slice
Salad burnet*

Method: Combine liquid ingredients. Shake. Strain into chilled coupe glass. Garnish with cucumber slice and salad burnet.

*Salad burnet is an herb that has a cool, savory flavor similar to cucumber.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Cator Sparks was the Editor-in-Chief of The Manual from its launch in 2012 until 2018. Previously, Cator was covering…

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