Day 20: The Degobah System
"That's right R2, we're going to the Degobah System." Hello thirsty readers, and welcome back to our ongoing collection of cocktails to pass the time. After doing the Darth Lapu last week, I decided it would be fun to make every Sunday Star Wars themed. As I've mentioned before, there are no rules in quarantiki after all. So journey with me, if you will, to the swamps of Degobah. It's only here that we can find the secrets we seek.
In his later years, Master Yoda, former Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, makes the swamps of Degobah his home. In "The Empire Strikes Back," Luke travels to the Degobah System to find Yoda and train with him, learning both about the force and himself along the way. If you follow Star Wars fandom, this becomes the "condensed version" of Jedi training, tasking Yoda with teaching already-grown Luke a lifetime of wisdom into a very short window. A crash course on the Jedi arts makes me thinks a lot about training new bartenders. They come to you with so many different backgrounds, but they all have the same goal, to become a cocktail Jedi. "You must unlearn what you have learned." as Yoda would say. Looking at my swamp surroundings in Louisiana, I can relate to Yoda's desire to be secluded and away from all of the pressure of his former life. With all of the fog and greenery, Degobah could be the perfect setting for a rum-soaked tropical escape. Just perhaps, you'll be feeling other-worldly after sipping The Degobah System yourself.
The Degobah System
1oz Medium-Body White Rum (I used Marsh House this time.
.75oz Aged Jamaican (Keeping the funk factor lower, I used Appleton Estate Reserve.)
.5oz Blanc Agricole (I used Rhum JM Blanc.)
.5oz Orgeat
.5oz Pandan Syrup
.5oz Lemon Juice
.5oz Lime Juice
1oz Orange Juice (fresh please)
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Yoda Mug
Whip shake and pour unstrained.
Top with crushed ice.
Garnish with mint and orange slices.
Pandan Syrup
4 Pandan Leaves
2 cups white sugar
2 cups water
In a sauce pot, bring all ingredients to a boil.
Remove from heat and allow to steep until the desired pandan flavor is achieved.
If you can't find pandan leaves, there's a great extract from Butterfly available on Amazon.
The best part part of taking a swamp adventure in your own home is certainly the low risk of infection. With everything going on, it's easy to become angry, angry at the government, angry at the people you're quarantined with, and mostly angry at life. Maybe be should just try and learn from the lessons of Yoda. "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Stay positive everybody, and keep shaking.
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