Destination Cocktail: You Only Live Twice at Allumette

Echo Park has a new fancy cocktail den in Allumette. In the old Allston Yacht Club space next door to the neighborhood liquor store House of Spirits Allumette is the new restaurant by Vagrancy Project chef Miles Thompson. To complement his intricate small plates, including raviolo of liquefied blood pudding with scallop carpaccio and caramelized anchovy; and fried oyster with kimchi ranch dressing, Asian pear mignonette and sea spinach, he’s brought on former Pour Vous and Harvard & Stone mixologist Serena Herrick. Herrick has crafted a small list of drinks that are big on unexpected flavor. Our pick is You Only Live Twice. Spicy Sichuan peppercorns sizzle in a mixture of dry gin, lime juice and bittersweet tangerine peel. A dash of refreshingly sweet velvet falernum makes the final product sing.

You Only Live Twice

Total time: 4 minutes

Servings: 1

Note: Adapted from Allumette in Los Angeles. Falernum is a sweet, flavored syrup; velvet falernum is an alcoholic version.

Few pinches Sichuan peppercorns

1/2 tangerine with peel

1 ounce London dry gin

1 ounce sake

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1/2 ounce velvet falernum

Candied tangerine, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker, thoroughly muddle the peppercorns with the half tangerine (with peel). Pour in the gin, sake, lime juice and velvet falernum. Add ice, shake and double-strain into a coupe. Garnish with the candied tangerine.

Each serving: 161 calories; 0 protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 6 grams sugar; 2 mg sodium.

jessica.gelt@latimes.com