Charles Hardwick at New York’s Blue Owl Cocktail Room wanted to create a tropical drink with all the flavor but without an overwhelming syrupy sweetness. So he created the Marisco Sour using pisco, banana liqueur and coconut water. The resulting drink boasts the scent and flavors of coconut and banana, but refrains from the use of syrups or unnecessary sweeteners.
Scents plays a role in other cocktails at the Blue Owl Cocktail Room as well. The Kipspringer, made with genever, vermouth, orange flower water and orange bitters gets a spray of orange flower water in the glass. And The Ellison, one of the Blue Owl’s more popular drinks — made with rose and cucumber infused gin, lime juice and a dash of bitters — gets a spray of rose water.