Get the spec for Alex Gondzioulis’ update of a modern classic

With this recipe, the Chet Baker — a modern classic rum cocktail created by Sam Ross — gets the Alex Gondzioulis treatment, which is to say that there is a lot of considered technique aimed at putting even more flavour into the drink.

“[It’s] a serve where some of the best flavours are folded into one of the best rum classics,” in his words.

“The banana molasses takes about two weeks to put together, and is an attempt to use as much of the banana fruit as possible,” says Alex. “By curing the skins in koji, they develop this savoury, almost olive-like note, and cooking them along with the clarified banana water and honey creates a rich, sweet and savoury molasses-like syrup. Great in cocktails, also great over ice cream.”

Chet Baker by Alex Gondzioulis

40ml (34.28g) beeswax-washed Husk Rare Blend Rum
5ml (4.04g) Green Dream (50:50 mix of Wray & Nephew and Pisang Ambon Banana Liqueur)
15ml (16.16g) Pandan infused Punt E Mes
7.5ml (11.58g) Blackened Banana Molasses
2 dashes of Angostura aromatic bitters

For the Shio Koji:
400g Rice Koji
400g Water
40g Salt

Blend Koji, Water and Salt together in a blender until a thick paste. Store in a container in the fridge.

For the Koji Cured Banana Skins:
Shio Koji
Banana Skins

Add Shio Koji and Banana Skins (about 1 part Shio Koji to 5 parts Banana Skin to a vacuum bag and seal.
Leave for a week to cure
After a week, open the bag and rinse the banana skins under running water.

For the Clear Banana:
Banana Flesh
30% Water
Pectinex (4ml/kg)
Ascorbic Acid (5g/kg)

Blend everything together in the thermomix until completely puréed. Lower to speed 5 or 6 and set temp to 50C, let this spin for 10 minutes. Filter through an oil filter to get clarified juice.

For the Banana Molasses:
710g Koji Cured Banana Skin
1083g Clear Banana
1000g Desert Banksia Honey

Cook Sous Vide for 7 Days, then strain through an oil filter.
Adjust to 47 Brix as needed.

For the Pandan Punt e Mes:
750g Punt E Mes
20g Pandan, chopped

Cook sous vide at 70C for 1 hour, then filter

For the beeswax rum:
Husk Rare Blend Rum
15% Beeswax, by weight

Combine beeswax and rum into a vac bag. Cook sous vide for 2 hours at 70C. Make sure you check that the beeswax is completely melted about 30 mins into the 2 hour cook. Place in the fridge, then filter through a V60.