Sweet, Earthy Pandan Belongs in Your Drinks
For centuries, pandan has been a powerhouse of Southeast Asian kitchens. It’s the aromatic leaf behind the gentle sweetness of Vietnamese chè, the grassy-coconuttiness in Thai gai ban duey and the unmistakable green hue in countless other desserts across the region.
While it’s long been a fixture in the kitchen, pandan has started taking over the bar. Mixologists and baristas around the country are whipping up drinks starring the fragrant leaf (there’s even ready-to-drink, bright pandan rum!). Its subtle sweetness and herbaceous character pair beautifully with tropical fruits, coconut milk, teas and even bold spirits like rum, gin and whiskey.
The Earthy, Velvety Nuttiness of Pandan
Pandan is a tropical, fragrant plant native to Southeast Asia recognized for its long, blade-like leaves and nutty-sweet aroma. Its essence is extracted through its leaves by steaming, stewing or blending (and then straining) them, resulting in flavor that’s as versatile as it is fragrant.
Often dubbed the “vanilla of Southeast Asia,” pandan is often compared to vanilla because of the similar role it plays in cooking. Both plants are aromatic and add warm, depth and sweetness to a wide range of dishes and drinks. At Larry’s Cà Phê, a Vietnamese café in Brooklyn, owner Tuan Nguyen swaps in pandan for what used to be vanilla in his popular Jade’s Matcha—a vibrant matcha latte sweetened with pandan syrup.
“I used to make lattes with vanilla syrup or extract all of the time, but now I use pandan for its sweet coconut-earthiness,” he says. “Really, pandan is the vanilla of Asia. Its unique smell and taste pair really well with the earthiness of matcha.”
The drink, which was a seasonal addition to the menu back in the fall, has remained a fan favorite and is now a mainstay on the menu.
Pandan sings in cocktails, and mixologists around the country are having fun with it. Colleen Hughes, bar program director at Leluia Hall in Charlotte, North Carolina, uses the ingredient to add depth to drinks. “[It] has a subtle sweet and grassy flavor, and complements fruit in a way similar to using real vanilla beans,” she says. “It’s soft and velvety, and works so well with clear spirits, almost like a form of fat-washing.”
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At Leluia Hall, Hughes incorporates pandan into a cocktail called I’m Blushing, which layers pandan and coconut flakes with genmaicha-infused vodka, strawberry, palm sugar, lemon, bergamot juice and amontillado Sherry. “When it’s very cold, it starts off sweet and bright. But as it warms, all the other flavors, especially the pandan, begin to shine,” she says. “It becomes beautifully complex and almost rich in flavor.”
That slow reveal—pandan as a final note—is also what captivated mixologist and recipe developer Jae Bae. He recalls a standout drink from Bangkok Supper Club in New York City: the Truffled Pandan, created by Suwincha “Chacha” Singsuwan, the restaurant’s bar director.
“It’s such a standalone drink in my head,” Bae says. “Chacha fat-washes gin with truffle oil, so your first impression is this intense, earthy truffle aroma. Then comes apple juice infused with coffee—it’s bright and acidic at first, then roasty. Only after all of that do you taste the pandan—this soft, rounding note that ties everything together. It blew my mind.”
Bae is a strong advocate for looking beyond traditional beverage uses of pandan—especially the bright green, coconut-heavy versions found in tiki cocktails. “If the only time you see pandan in a drink is when it’s neon green and tastes like coconut milk, you might think that’s the only way it can be used,” he says. “But pandan can be savory, unexpected, even elegant. Look at how it’s used in food—that’s where the ideas start.”
Bae takes inspiration from traditional Asian dishes and desserts to craft his cocktails. He likes exploring pandan with simple syrups, eventually infusing spirits using fresh leaves and sous vide techniques.
One of his most popular recipes is Vietnamese Grilled Banana (Chuoi Nep Nuong), which features pandan in a simple syrup. “It’s like vanilla in Western cooking—there, but not loud. It adds richness and texture without needing to be flashy.”
And in some bars, it’s not just a support to round out other ingredients in a beverage—it’s front and center on the menu. At Sisters Thai in Washington D.C., pandan takes the spotlight in the Pandan Old-Fashioned, the restaurant’s signature cocktail.
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Bartender Thomas Samuels explains that the team “infuses crushed pandan leaves directly into whiskey for several days,” which leads to a “pandan-forward drink” that balances the bitterness of a classic old-fashioned. It’s subtle, surprising, and a customer favorite.
Pandan Old-Fashioned
Recipe courtesy of Sister’s Thai in Washington, D.C.
Ingredients
2 ounces pandan-infused Suntory Toki Whiskey (see below)
1/2 ounce Nonino Quintessentia Amaro
1/4 ounce Arrow Cream de Cacao
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Pandan leaves tossed in brown sugar, for garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Combine all ingredients except garnish into a mixing glass, then filled with ice.
Step 2
Stir until chilled, about 15 seconds and then strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube
Step 3
Garnish with pandan leaves tossed in brown sugar.
How to Make Pandan-Infused Whiskey
1. Place three pandan leaves in a clean glass jar or bottle.
2. Pour the Suntory Toki over the leaves and make sure they are fully submerged.
3. Close or seal and store in a low light and room temperature. Strain after 24 hours, or steep longer for a stronger flavor.
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In the shop
Hyde Unbreakable Old Fashioned Glass
In Stock | $36
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