Michael Kiwanuka - ‘Home Again’ + The Abbey
Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces gin, 1 ounce fresh orange juice, 3/4 ounce Lillet, 1 dash orange bitters.
Mixing Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. *Optional* garnish with burnt orange peel twist.
Notes: The music of British soul artist Michael Kiwanuka is just starting to garner attention in the U.S., but on the other side of the pond he has been making waves for the past year. In January he won the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll, an annual poll of music critics and music industry veterans to determine the most promising new musical talent. His style is reminiscent of Bill Withers and his voice punches you in the chest with emotional depth that belies his 24 years of age. Kiwanuka’s music is a refreshing journey back to the strongest traditions of soul without getting lost in sentimentality. Take a listen to a smooth, powerful album with a similarly constituted cocktail.