Paddington

About the Paddington

Paddington is a citrus forward, marmalade laced cocktail built on Timber Creek Florida Rum, shaken with grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, a barspoon of orange marmalade, and a rinse of absinthe before straining into a chilled coupe and garnishing with a grapefruit twist. The marmalade is the standout ingredient here, dissolving into the shake to give the drink a jammy, slightly bitter orange body that plain juice cannot replicate, while the Lillet Blanc adds a light, floral wine note underneath the citrus. Timber Creek Florida Rum carries the base of the drink well because it is distilled grain to glass on the distillery’s own Crestview farm and carried through the PureBlend process, giving it a rounded sugarcane sweetness and light vanilla note that balances the tartness of the grapefruit and lemon without needing extra sugar.

To build it, shake the rum, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, and marmalade hard with ice to fully dissolve the marmalade, then strain into a chilled coupe that has been given a quick absinthe rinse, and garnish with a grapefruit twist for aroma. It pours a hazy amber orange and smells of citrus peel and orange marmalade. This is a good brunch or early evening cocktail, bright enough to open a meal, and it pairs well with marmalade toast, roast pork, cheddar cheese, butter biscuits, or apple pie.

Note that the absinthe here is called for without a measured quantity, standard for a glass rinse but worth confirming against the working recipe, and that shaking hard enough to fully dissolve the marmalade is the difference between a smooth drink and one with stubborn bits of peel floating in it. A properly chilled coupe helps too, since the drink has no ice in the glass itself to keep it cold as it is sipped. As always, sip slowly and drink responsibly.

Paddington is a citrus forward, marmalade laced cocktail built on Timber Creek Florida Rum, shaken with grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, a barspoon of orange marmalade, and a rinse of absinthe before straining into a chilled coupe and garnishing with a grapefruit twist. The marmalade is the standout ingredient here, dissolving into the shake to give the drink a jammy, slightly bitter orange body that plain juice cannot replicate, while the Lillet Blanc adds a light, floral wine note underneath the citrus. Timber Creek Florida Rum carries the base of the drink well because it is distilled grain to glass on the distillery’s own Crestview farm and carried through the PureBlend process, giving it a rounded sugarcane sweetness and light vanilla note that balances the tartness of the grapefruit and lemon without needing extra sugar.

To build it, shake the rum, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, and marmalade hard with ice to fully dissolve the marmalade, then strain into a chilled coupe that has been given a quick absinthe rinse, and garnish with a grapefruit twist for aroma. It pours a hazy amber orange and smells of citrus peel and orange marmalade. This is a good brunch or early evening cocktail, bright enough to open a meal, and it pairs well with marmalade toast, roast pork, cheddar cheese, butter biscuits, or apple pie.

Note that the absinthe here is called for without a measured quantity, standard for a glass rinse but worth confirming against the working recipe, and that shaking hard enough to fully dissolve the marmalade is the difference between a smooth drink and one with stubborn bits of peel floating in it. A properly chilled coupe helps too, since the drink has no ice in the glass itself to keep it cold as it is sipped. As always, sip slowly and drink responsibly.