This bittersweet, floral liqueur is our new favorite gift to bring to a dinner party. Gorgeous, unusual and totally delicious, we sip it with seltzer before dinner, and as a digestif or mixed into cocktails after dinner. Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew, co-founders of Greenbar Distillery, were inspired by many a hike through California’s state parks. They combined local ingredients like citrus, bay leaf, pink pepper and, of course, California poppies, with other bittering ingredients like dandelion, artichoke and gentian. All certified organic. Awesome. Fourteen botanicals macerate in a rum base for roughly a month before it’s filtered, then redistilled and re-infused to concentrate flavors. Makes a great gift for epicureans and Californians (past and present). tip of the tongue Grand Poppy’s subtle sweetness and floral notes make it a great match for gin. Try using it instead of Campari in a negroni: Combine 1 oz gin, 1 oz Grand Poppy and 1 oz sweet vermouth and stir over ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or a glass of ice and garnish with an orange twist.
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