This article is part of The Spill Awards 2025, covering the best in spirits, cocktails, bartenders and drinks culture. Find all of the stories here.
Admittedly, I only started diving into pandan in the past year or so. But the Southeast Asian plant has been a trendy part of the drinks scene for a few decades. The New York Times labeled pandan as the “hot” cocktail ingredient back in 2017.
So why is pandan hot once again? Credit certainly goes to renowned mixologist and bar owner Nico de Soto (Mace, Danico), who discovered the fragrant plant when traveling through Indonesia in 2008. “Two years later, I was putting it in all my drinks,” he says.
Still, with 750 species of pandan available, de Soto noted that there was “no consistency” when it came to sourcing and utilizing the leaves. So he recently launched Kota Pandan Liqueur, a lovely spirit that captures the essence of pandan (“vanilla, hazelnut, matcha, cooked rice,” as de Soto explains) in a bottle.
However bartenders use pandan, it’s certainly versatile. Daiquiris, Margaritas, Espresso Martinis and even Old Fashioneds are just a few of the drinks that get a boost from the plant’s use. It’s also great for tropical drinks; one good example can be found at San Diego’s tiki bar False Idol, which utilizes pandan in several cocktails on its recently revamped menu, including the Malambo (lime, coconut, mango, pandan and blend of pisco, cachaca and rum).
“Pandan has a sweet, vanilla and coconut flavor,” says Ciarraí Kelly, Teeling Brand Ambassador. “It can add an extra layer of flavor to a drink while not being overpowering. And there are many ways to use pandan in a drink — through a liqueur, homemade syrup or garnish. It’s a great way to highlight the sweet (and sometimes savory) aspects of a cocktail.”
“I discovered pandan through my trips to Asia — I think it was like a cooking class in Chiang Mai where I first used it,” says David Muhs, the co-founder and head bartender at NYC’s Monkey Thief (home to a pandan-infused Irish Coffee). “It’s a fun ingredient to play with — it’s approachable but exciting. The flavor isn’t outlandish, but it offers amazing cocktail applications.”
One of the best places to experience pandan in cocktails is at New York’s trendy Bangkok Supper Club, where the plant shows up in multiple drinks, from an N/A lemongrass pandan tea to more unusual combinations, like the Mushroom (bourbon, mushroom liqueur, pandan) and the Truffled Pandan (gin fat-washed with white truffle oil, apple juice infused with coffee and thyme, pandan syrup, lactic acid).
“We source our pandan frozen from Thailand,” says Suwincha (Chacha) Singsuwan, who runs the restaurant’s beverage program. “It’s an easy ingredient to work with. I love that it adds a silky smoothness to anything it’s in. It enhances the overall taste and texture of drinks and desserts.”
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