Briana Hestad Rides the Tiger with a Thai-Iced-Tea-Inspired Cocktail

What do you get when you cross Thai iced tea with Swedish punsch? A Swedish Tiger (full recipe here), a creamy and refreshing drink by Briana Hestad, operations manager and co-owner of Ørkenoy. When the Thai iced tea craving hit, Hestad doubled-down on the herbaceousness of Pantai Norasingh tea and fortified the cocktail with astringency and complexity, while still allowing the signature velvety texture and sweetness to shine. For weight and a bit of funk, she looked to Batavia-Arrack van Oosten, a pre-Prohibition spirit of sugar cane and red rice. “It can be difficult to work with,” she says. “You gotta find things to complement or mask it, which is how we came up with this.” Paired with its cousin of sorts, Kronan Swedish punsch, the beverage takes on warm spice and notes of smoky caramel. To balance things out, Hestad adds Bonal and rose syrup for a delicate floral flavor and aromatics. All that’s left is to pour over a generous dose of half-and-half (or coconut milk for the dairy-averse) and watch the cream swirl.