on the front it's super spirit forward, so you want a smooth but still full bodied rum that has strong notes of spice and caramel to it. the spice gets tempered down by the averna, settling into a velvety chocolate note. the violette gives it a bit of sweetness in the form of a deep and tone appropriate florality. the chartreuse works in the background to bolster the herbaceousness in the averna and give the whole thing a bright note that keeps it from getting too heavy. and finally the cardamom comes in at the very end to bring us back to the spice of the rum and keep the drink cohesive and all the different layers of low notes in harmony.

rum is such a rich yet playful spirit imo, and because it's the main flavor in this drink, i thought it was perfect to represent the heart of their relationship: they just fucking like each other. they feel comfortable when they're together, they feel like home to each other. that's another reason you want a particularly smooth rum with sweet undertones.

the averna represents the bittersweet angst of their later relationship, particularly in the post canon. there is so much hurt and grief from both sides. its this thing churning in their periphery at all times, too painful to really touch. but there is still love there, and there's still the 'what if's and 'in a different life's. it's nice to indulge in the daydream, even if it twists the knife a bit.

creme de violette is for garak's orchids, of course, and the metaphor they are for his personhood and the soft core there within. creme de violette is a lower note than most other potential floral components because he has had to suppress that part of himself by and large. and it fucking ruins him and all he sacrificed for. it's something he resents for most of his life, only being able to begin to recognize the strength in sentiment through his relationship with julian.

the chartreuse takes into account how much genuine fun they have together. they could literally talk for hours. there is a lot of grief in their relationship, yes, but there is also a lot of genuine friendship and endearment too. in real world terms the chartreuse is necessary to keep the drink balanced, and the same is true of what it represents. the way they just have fun talking and spending time together, the way they are each others favorite person—it's the reason it hurts so much to be apart and to be estranged, and it's a massive part of why the angst of the post canon is so delicious and cutting.

and the cardamom ties everything back full circle, representing the cosmically fated nature of their relationship and how it not only changed them, but changed the entire future of the quadrant. they made each other better people, and in turn enabled the other to make the galaxy a better place. the fate lines were set long before they first met, and their relationship was a crucial part of their individual destinies. they were always meant to mean something to each other. literally in every universe, yk