Trinidad Sour Recipe

Before you start

The Trinidad Sour turns a cocktail rule upside down. Angostura bitters, normally added by the dash, become the main ingredient at a full 30 ml, while rye whiskey is reduced to a supporting role. It is usually credited to Giuseppe González in New York around 2009. The result is a deep red, spiced sour that tastes of clove, cinnamon and almond.

It works because orgeat is rich enough to stand up to that much bitterness, and lemon cuts the syrup so the drink does not turn heavy. Measure the bitters with a jigger rather than shaking them through the dasher top; you will need to remove the plastic insert or buy a large bottle. Angostura is about 45% ABV, so this is a full-strength drink, not a low-alcohol one.

Ingredients

• 30 ml (1 oz) Angostura bitters — measured with a jigger
• 30 ml (1 oz) orgeat — almond syrup
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lemon juice
• 15 ml (½ oz) rye whiskey — a high-rye, 50% ABV bottling holds up best
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking

Method

1. Chill the coupe in the freezer or with ice water while you measure.
2. Pry the dasher insert out of the Angostura bottle with a butter knife, or pour from a large bottle. Measure 30 ml into the jigger over the sink, because it stains counters and clothes.
3. Add the bitters, orgeat, lemon juice and rye to the shaker. The mix will be dark brown-red and smell strongly of clove.
4. Fill the shaker two-thirds with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds, until the tin is frosted. Orgeat and bitters produce a light, pinkish foam.
5. Double-strain into the chilled coupe and serve without a garnish; the foam and aroma are enough.

Tips for success

• Wipe the jigger and shaker straight after use. Angostura dyes plastic and grout quickly.
• Orgeat quality matters more than usual here. Choose one made with real almonds, or make your own, so the almond flavor can match the spice.
• Shake firmly. Proper dilution softens the bitters, and an under-shaken version tastes harsh and medicinal.

Substitutions

Rye whiskey

Bourbon makes the drink rounder and sweeter. Overproof rum adds tropical notes that suit the orgeat.

Orgeat

Nothing substitutes well. Rich simple syrup will balance the drink, but the almond backbone is lost and it tastes more one-dimensional.

Angostura bitters

Other aromatic bitters give a very different drink, and many are far more bitter per milliliter. Try a half-and-half blend before committing to a full ounce.

Variations

Trinidad Sour with egg white

Add 1 pasteurized egg white, dry shake for 10 seconds, then shake with ice. The foam turns pale pink and softens the spice.

Troubleshooting

It tastes overwhelmingly bitter

Check that your orgeat is a full-sugar syrup. Add 5 ml more orgeat and shake a few seconds longer for extra dilution.

It is sticky and sweet

Your lemon may be weak or under-measured. Add 5 ml more lemon juice; the drink should finish dry and spicy.

The bitters will not pour out fast enough

The dasher top limits flow. Remove the insert or decant bitters into a small bottle without a restrictor.

Storage

Serve immediately after shaking. Opened orgeat should be refrigerated; most homemade versions keep about 2 weeks and commercial bottles longer, as labeled. Discard any syrup that smells sour or looks moldy.

Safety notes

Angostura bitters are about 45% ABV. With the rye, this drink contains roughly 1.2 U.S. standard drinks (one standard drink is about 14 g of pure alcohol). Orgeat contains almonds, a tree-nut allergen. Serve only to adults of legal drinking age, and never drink and drive.