Pandan Negroni at Home: Bun House Disco’s Recipe and Gin Substitutes

Can’t find rice gin or fresh pandan? Here’s how to recreate Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni at home — with workarounds, pro techniques and deli-friendly batch options.

If you’ve ever tried to reproduce a boutique bar cocktail at home, you know the pain: a recipe calls for an ingredient you’ve never seen in your local shop, the flavour balance feels fragile, and a single wrong step wrecks a perfectly good bottle. That’s exactly the challenge with Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni — a bright, green riff on the classic Negroni that depends on pandan-infused rice gin, white vermouth and green Chartreuse. In 2026 diners and home bartenders want authenticity plus practicality. This guide gives you a faithful, reproducible recipe, smart substitutions if rice gin or pandan are unavailable, advanced infusion techniques, garnish ideas and deli-friendly batching tips so you can put this striking cocktail on a small menu or serve it at home with confidence.

The core recipe (single serve)

What Bun House Disco serves — faithful home version

Yield: 1 cocktail

• For the pandan-infused gin: 175 ml rice gin + 10 g fresh pandan leaf (green part only)
• For the drink: 25 ml pandan-infused gin, 15 ml white vermouth, 15 ml green Chartreuse

Method — quick and clean

1. Roughly chop the pandan leaf. Put it in a blender with the 175 ml rice gin and blitz for 5–10 seconds until the leaf is well broken down.
2. Immediately strain the mixture through a fine sieve lined with muslin or a coffee filter. Squeeze gently; avoid over-pressing to limit bitterness and off-notes.
3. Measure 25 ml of the pandan-infused gin, add 15 ml white vermouth and 15 ml green Chartreuse into an ice-filled mixing glass. Stir for 20–30 seconds until perfectly chilled and slightly diluted.
4. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish (see ideas below).

Why this works — flavour anatomy

The pandan leaf contributes a sweet, grassy, coconut-vanilla aroma that shifts the classic bitter-sweet Negroni toward tropical herbal. Rice gin offers a softer grain backbone than a London dry, which lets pandan and Chartreuse sing. White vermouth (bianco-style) adds floral honeyed aromatics without dark caramel sweetness. Green Chartreuse gives a bright, herbal backbone that balances the pandan’s sweetness and gives the drink its signature complexity.

2026 flavour and beverage trends that matter

• Continued elevation of Asian regional ingredients across Western cocktail programs — pandan, yuzu, sansho and rice spirits are staples now.
• Growing demand for RTD and batch cocktails in delis and small bars; operators want recipes that scale without losing aromatics.
• Interest in sustainable, low-waste techniques (re-using spent pandan leaves for syrups or shrub) and transparent sourcing of botanicals.
• Non-alcoholic and low-ABV variants are mainstream — expect requests for zero-proof pandan versions using alcohol-free gin alternatives by 2026.

Practical substitutions — when you can’t find rice gin or pandan

1) No rice gin? Use these practical swaps

• London dry gin + rice spirit boost: Use a good London dry gin (50–60% of spirit volume) and add 40–50 ml of a rice spirit like shochu or soju per 175 ml batch to add rice character without losing juniper. Example mix for a 175 ml base: 125 ml London dry + 50 ml neutral rice spirit.
• Gin with Asian botanicals: Use a Japanese or Asian-styled gin (Roku-style, Ki No Bi family) that includes citrusy and rice-friendly botanicals — these play well with pandan.
• Neutral spirit + botanical bitters: If you only have vodka, flavour 90% vodka with a small measure of juniper-forward gin or add 2–3 dashes of juniper bitters and 5–10 ml of a rice-based liqueur or sake to mimic rice gin’s roundness.
• Low-ABV option: Use white vermouth as a base with a splash of botanical non-alcoholic spirit and pandan syrup to approximate the mouthfeel, adjusting acidity with a dash of saline.

2) No pandan? Use these alternatives

• Pandan extract or paste: Widely sold in Asian grocers; use sparingly (a few drops) because extracts are concentrated. Dissolve in the gin by shaking then taste.
• Pandan syrup or cordial: If you have pandan syrup, replace part of the gin infusion by reducing gin and adding 5–10 ml syrup to taste. Watch sweetness — cut back vermouth slightly.
• Pandan tea/cold steep: Steep sliced pandan leaves in warm water then mix a measured amount (10–15 ml) of the pandan tea with gin as a flavouring if fresh leaves aren’t available.
• Coconut + vanilla combo: For a very rough stand-in, use a tiny drop of coconut water or coconut syrup plus a hint of vanilla or pandan essence — the result will be reminiscent but not identical.

3) White vermouth or green Chartreuse missing?

• White vermouth substitute: Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano are great swaps; if those aren’t on hand, use dry vermouth with a half-teaspoon sugar dissolved to recreate bianco sweetness.
• Green Chartreuse substitute: Chartreuse is unique. If unavailable, try a green herbal amaro or a genepy-style alpine liqueur and reduce the amount by 10–20% to avoid overpowering the drink.

Pro infusion techniques — control colour, aroma and bitterness

How you extract pandan flavour matters. Chlorophyll releases quickly and will turn the gin a vivid green, but over-extraction adds vegetal bitterness. Here are controlled methods for home and small-scale deli and pop-up use.

Quick blender blitz (what Bun House Disco recommends)

• Time: seconds. Method: blitz fresh pandan with gin and immediately strain. Pros: fast, vivid colour and aroma. Cons: slightly more chlorophyll and particulate — filter well.

Cold maceration (gentle, clean)

• Method: place chopped pandan in gin in an airtight jar; store in a cool dark place for 6–12 hours, taste at intervals. Strain when aroma is right.
• Pros: cleaner flavour, less green bitterness. Cons: slower.

Sous-vide infusion (speed + control)

• Method: vacuum-seal gin and pandan and sous-vide at 50–55°C for 30–60 minutes. Chill and strain. The low heat accelerates extraction without the bruised bitterness of a blender.
• Note: 2025–26 saw more craft bars using sous-vide for repeatable infusions — excellent for consistent batches on deli and micro-popup menus.

Filtering tips

• Use a muslin-lined fine sieve followed by a paper coffee filter to remove tiny particles that cause cloudiness.
• For ultra-clear presentations, gelatin clarification works but is rarely needed at home.

Batching for delis and small events

If you’re adding the pandan negroni to a deli beverage list or prepping for a party, scaling matters. The ratio in the single-serve recipe (25:15:15) is easy to scale by volume.

Example: 10 servings batch

• Pandan-infused gin: 250 ml (prepare by macerating ~15–20 g pandan in 875 ml gin and strain; then measure the 250 ml needed)
• White vermouth: 150 ml
• Green Chartreuse: 150 ml

Mix, bottle and keep chilled. Serve over ice with a pre-made garnish. For delis offering by-the-glass, pre-batch 1–2 litre jugs and split into 100–150 ml pours.

Garnish and finishing touches

Presentation sells. A simple garnish elevates perception on a deli menu or in an Instagram post.

• Classic citrus twist: Flamed orange peel — oils marry with the herbal Chartreuse and the pandan aromatics.
• Pandan leaf ribbon: Fold a pandan leaf and clip it to the glass rim for visual authenticity. Do not attempt to light it — pandan is delicate.
• Charred lime wheel: Torch a lime wheel and float it — adds smoky brightness.
• Herbal sprig: Kaffir lime leaf, Thai basil or a small mint sprig complements pandan’s profile.
• Pandan sugar rim: For sweet-leaning variations, rim the glass with superfine sugar blended with a touch of pandan extract.

Troubleshooting and tips

• Too bitter / grassy: You’ve over-extracted chlorophyll. Dilute with fresh gin and a squeeze of citrus or restart with a shorter infusion time.
• Not green enough: Use fresher pandan leaves — older leaves yield duller colour. You can safely add a tiny amount of pandan extract to boost aroma.
• Drink tastes too herbal: Reduce the Chartreuse slightly (to 12 ml) and increase pandan gin to 28–30 ml to rebalance.
• Cloudy after chilling: Filter again through a coffee filter or fine muslin. Chill-induced precipitation can be cleared this way.
• Shelf life: Store pandan-infused gin refrigerated and consume within 2–4 weeks. The infusion remains safe longer because of alcohol, but aromatic quality declines.

Zero-proof and low-ABV versions (2026 demand)

Non-alcoholic spirits have matured by 2026. To make a zero-proof pandan negroni:

• Use a high-quality non-alcoholic botanical spirit as the base and infuse or flavour with pandan tea or extract.
• Swap white vermouth for a non-alcoholic vermouth-style aperitif and green Chartreuse for a non-alcoholic herbal liqueur. Adjust with a touch of honey or pandan syrup.
• Label clearly on menus — 2026 diners increasingly choose zero-proof cocktails when the flavour is compelling.

Menu copy and pricing tips for delis

Write short, appetizing descriptions that highlight provenance and unique ingredients. Example menu line:

“Pandan Negroni — pandan-infused rice gin, bianco vermouth, green Chartreuse. Coconut-vanilla aromatics meet alpine herbs. 10–12% ABV / 150 ml.”

Pricing: factor in Chartreuse (premium), rice gin or substitute cost, labour for infusion and garnish. Offer as a signature pour or a small-batch bottle for takeaway — RTD pandan negronis can command a premium in markets where artisanal RTDs are popular.

Final tips from the bar

• Always taste as you go — small adjustments to Chartreuse or vermouth dramatically change the balance.
• Use good ice and a large cube for serving; dilution and temperature are part of the recipe.
• Document your preferred infusion time and recipe on file so every batch matches — consistency builds repeat business for delis.

Takeaway — why you should try this at home or on your deli menu

The pandan negroni is a brilliant example of how regional ingredients can refresh a classic. In 2026 it’s a crowd-pleaser because it feels exotic yet familiar, it scales for service, and it adapts for low-ABV trends and RTD formats. With the substitutions and techniques above you can recreate Bun House Disco’s vision even when rice gin or fresh pandan aren’t at hand.

Try it tonight

Make the pandan gin, test a single serve and iterate — that’s the fastest path to a perfect pandan negroni. If you run a deli, batch a couple of bottles for weekend service and watch social shares. Share your results, tag us with your photos, and subscribe for more deli-friendly cocktail recipes and menu strategy tips.

Ready to mix? Start by infusing 175 ml gin with 10 g pandan, assemble the 25:15:15 ratio, stir with ice and garnish with a citrus twist or pandan ribbon. Then experiment with the rice-gin and pandan substitutions above to make it your own.

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