In his bio, master distiller Lance Winters writes that he “takes cocktail inspiration from Thai salads.” This sparked an idea for creative director Matthew Wyne, who built this recipe around ingredients commonly found in them: basil, peppers and ginger. The drink is essentially a split-base buck (the term buck refers to a highball that pairs a base spirit with ginger beer) but achieves a complexity not often found in the genre due to its use of our Green Chile Vodka and Basil Eau De Vie. While using a frozen papaya spear adds to both the flavor and the presentation, the drink is also fantastic over good, old-fashioned ice cubes. The name refers to one of the four classic styles of Thai salads, and translates to “mix mix” with entendre implied. To mix, add the spirits to a highball glass, then pour the ginger beer slowly, letting it hit the side of the glass to reduce the release of carbonation. Give a quick stir to incorporate, then add the frozen papaya spear (or ice cubes.) Garnish with anything you’d find in a Thai salad.
