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Bandoeng'22: The Vanilla of the East Comes to the Bar
The Netherlands has one of the world's most profound culinary connections to Southeast Asia — a legacy of centuries of Dutch-Indonesian history. Yet Indonesian ingredients had barely penetrated the drinks world. Bandoeng'22 was created to change that.
Named after the historic Indonesian city of Bandung — a city of art, culture and extraordinary cuisine — the brand was built around a single ingredient: pandan. The pandan plant (Pandanus amaryllifolius) is ubiquitous in Southeast Asian kitchens, used in everything from rice to cakes to desserts for its sweet, nutty, grassy, floral character. No equivalent exists in European cuisine — which is exactly what makes the Bandoeng'22 Pandan Liqueur unlike anything else on a back bar.
Why Pandan Works in Cocktails
Pandan occupies a flavour territory no European liqueur can claim. It's aromatic like elderflower but more complex. Nutty like orgeat but without the weight. Grassy like fresh botanicals, but tropical. That uniqueness makes it genuinely additive in any cocktail where aromatic interest is wanted — it doesn't replace something; it adds something entirely new. For a first serve, start with the Pandan Collins.
The Dutch-Indonesian Connection
The "22" in Bandoeng'22 is a tribute to the Dutch-Indonesian cultural connection and the 'Indo' heritage that runs through Dutch history. The brand honours this story not through nostalgia but through genuine quality — a product that carries the flavour of Indonesian tradition into a contemporary global cocktail context.
Frequently asked questions
- What is pandan?
- A Southeast Asian plant (Pandanus amaryllifolius) used across Indonesian cooking, prized for a sweet, nutty, grassy, floral character often called the "vanilla of the East."
- What does pandan liqueur taste like?
- Aromatic and complex — sweet and nutty with fresh grassy-floral notes; a flavour territory no European liqueur occupies.
- How do I use pandan liqueur in cocktails?
- As a modifier that adds aromatic complexity — try a Pandan Collins, or use it wherever elderflower or orgeat would appear, for a tropical, more layered result.
