There’s something alluring about Navan ® vanilla cognac. The liquor has one of those palindrome names, a smoothly symmetric bottle design, the slick Hollywood marketing campaign, a snobby price tag & the appeal of being a somewhat difficult find. So, is the mystique (and the $40-$45 cost) warranted? Read on…
Mav and I enjoy all sorts of drinks but our followers AKA (beloved fellow lushes), may notice we tend towards sweet, after-dinner cocktails. I'm a chocolate fiend (thanks, Dad!) but Mav adores vanilla. And to this end, I have to admit I think Mav has some better options when it comes to specialty liquors/liqueurs. Between long days in the newsroom & hours of studying, the two of us can flat-out drain a bottle of Licor 43® (it's a staple ingredient in lots of our dessert martinis). And we also like Tuaca ® in place of or with vodka in many of our drinks. We are rarely without one or both of these liqueurs. In this spirit, Navan ® was a MUST try. Whereas Licor 43® is a thick, almost syrupy liqueur, Navan does not mess around with all the added sugar. It’s a full 40 proof, so the initial impact is one of a full-bodied but smooth cognac. But the divine finish is what makes this drink worth a place, budget permitting, in your liquor cabinet. After the warm burn of the cognac subsides, something magically delicious starts to happen: a prominent, but never cloying, note of Madagascar vanilla blooms on your tongue spreads into your cheeks and causes your mouth to curl up in a smile. This liquor is fantastic over ice, in a snifter or in simple cocktails that really let its simple luxurious flavors shine. My favorite from the official Navan® website is reproduced below with my slight alterations:
Navan Natural Vanilla Martini
1.5 ounces Premium Vodka
¾ ounce Navan®
1/4 ounce fresh lemon/lime juice*
½ ounce Simple Syrup
Pour over ice. Shake, strain and serve in a chilled martini glass.
*I’ve knocked this ratio down a little from the suggested ½ ounce serving; I like more of a subtle citrus note
So our take home review… can we do without Navan®? Well, yes. Do we want to? Not particularly. So until we become ridiculously wealthy, Mav and I will keep Navan ® for special occasions.
Our Rating: A
Mav and I enjoy all sorts of drinks but our followers AKA (beloved fellow lushes), may notice we tend towards sweet, after-dinner cocktails. I'm a chocolate fiend (thanks, Dad!) but Mav adores vanilla. And to this end, I have to admit I think Mav has some better options when it comes to specialty liquors/liqueurs. Between long days in the newsroom & hours of studying, the two of us can flat-out drain a bottle of Licor 43® (it's a staple ingredient in lots of our dessert martinis). And we also like Tuaca ® in place of or with vodka in many of our drinks. We are rarely without one or both of these liqueurs. In this spirit, Navan ® was a MUST try. Whereas Licor 43® is a thick, almost syrupy liqueur, Navan does not mess around with all the added sugar. It’s a full 40 proof, so the initial impact is one of a full-bodied but smooth cognac. But the divine finish is what makes this drink worth a place, budget permitting, in your liquor cabinet. After the warm burn of the cognac subsides, something magically delicious starts to happen: a prominent, but never cloying, note of Madagascar vanilla blooms on your tongue spreads into your cheeks and causes your mouth to curl up in a smile. This liquor is fantastic over ice, in a snifter or in simple cocktails that really let its simple luxurious flavors shine. My favorite from the official Navan® website is reproduced below with my slight alterations:
Navan Natural Vanilla Martini
1.5 ounces Premium Vodka
¾ ounce Navan®
1/4 ounce fresh lemon/lime juice*
½ ounce Simple Syrup
Pour over ice. Shake, strain and serve in a chilled martini glass.
*I’ve knocked this ratio down a little from the suggested ½ ounce serving; I like more of a subtle citrus note
So our take home review… can we do without Navan®? Well, yes. Do we want to? Not particularly. So until we become ridiculously wealthy, Mav and I will keep Navan ® for special occasions.
Our Rating: A
Bye.
Blonde Mere
12 comments:
Sounds delicious. I have not heard of Navan but I think I need to try it. Do you think the type of vodka you use is important when you are mixing it with something like that? I mean, I wouldn't use the cheap of the cheap stuff, but does it really make a difference whether it is Stoli or V1 or Absolute?
Hi CJ,
This stuff is really amazing if you are a fan of vanilla. (I love it.) I would personally try to use a nice smooth plain vodka. Meres and I have been drinking Svedka. It's very reasonably priced but a solid vodka that I would say is a step up from plain Smirnoff but about equal to something like Skyy but less expensive. I hope that helps! Thanks for commenting!
Take care,
Mav
Thanks Mav. I'm always a little torn on the vodka when I am mixing in things. Although I am in no way a vodka expert, I don't want ruin the drink.
Ok, so this weekend there is a big St. Patrick's Day parade here. Which means of course, lots of spirits. I tend to stick to the light beer when it's going to be a long day (although I am really not a fan). Any suggestions for a cocktail on a nice spring Sunday when things are kicking off around 11:00 AM?
I'm not a fan of the light beer either. I think a nice refreshing drink for a spring day is a gin and tonic or vodka tonic if you don't like gin. Then I add a little squeeze of lime. Very tasty!
Thanks for the suggestion Mav! Bombay Sapphire may just do the trick!
Wow sounds great its only 630am and this makes me crave a drink Is that bad ???..I will give this drink a try...thanks Zman sends
I am definetly adding this to my links..how could I not its blond on blond action Yeah baby (austin powers version) Zman sends
Hi Steve,
Don't worry about it being 6:30am and already craving a drink because it's always cocktail hour somewhere!
I like the Licor43. I'm pretty sure it's used in a key lime pie shooter which I love!
hoo hoo,
I've heard that Licor43 is used in key lime pie shooters. I'm going to have to have one soon. There are a lot of variations on key lime shooters so I want to find the best one. I do looove Licor 43 btw!
Ok, I just had two Navan and Stoli martini's. I think I am having a hard time typing. I skipped the lime juice as I did not have any. Great recommendation. It's only 6:50 - I'll attempt to check back in but I might be in bed.
Hi CJ,
I'm glad you enjoyed the Navan. It has been one of our go to cocktails lately. (so much for saving it for special occasions!)
We are a bit behind on our blogging but hope to get a new one up soon. Thanks for commenting!
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