The cardamom & banana, from nashville mixologist anthony auger, is a creative twist on the vieux carre template. Although its quite spirit-forward, its sweet and smooth and spicy, almost like the concentrated essence of good banana bread. Since banana is such an important part of the flavor profile, a good banana liqueur is a must. Auger uses giffards banane de bresil, which is our evergreen favorite (with tempus fugits crme de banane a close second). Your banana liqueur should ideally be golden-brown, not clear, and should have a real, natural banana flavor.