Gateway Frond
Fennel (the plant, and its seed) has many wonderful culinary applications, and I find it to be a gateway to the anise/licorice flavor profile if you’re not sold on the flavor in a more intense format. I made a “no waste” syrup using some leftover fennel fronds (15g) and some clementines that were about to go bad (50g, in coins). I combined those with 1tsp of darkly toasted fennel seeds and equal sugar by total weight. Muddle, refrigerate overnight, strain, bottle, refrigerate.
Caff & Chill
This is the Spring of Strawberry. Don’t say you weren’t warned. This one is a sipper but is still bright and on the refreshing end of things, complex but all too easy to enjoy. The predominant flavors are strawberry (easy syrup, see below), coffee (incredible liqueur from @tempus_fugit_spirits), and mint (Braulio, fernet). The base is a split of Irish whiskey and reposado, bringing vanilla and gentle oak notes— here, it is more of a foundation for the primary flavors and is intentionally not assertive.