COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK:
I love making drinks that are inspired by people, places, or things. This weeks drink is inspired by Jack Warner (who you may not know if you don’t follow soccer or football) but he is a prominent politician in Trinidad and Tobago and a former Fifa VP who was brought up in the recent scandal numerous times. This inspired me to create this week’s Taylor-Made Cocktail, which is a twist on a drink called a Trinidad Sour.
TAYLOR-MADE: THE JACK WARNER
The first time I was introduced to a Trinidad Sour, I didn’t know what to think. As I saw the recipe and noticed that it called for a full ounce of Angostura, I assumed I was reading it wrong. If you know anything about bitters you know they are strong, pungent and not something you would normally want to have more than a few dashes of. After my initial introduction and my new found fascination with Jack Warner, I decided my own recipe would be a homage to the great country of Trinidad and Tobago. The Jack Warner is a sour, so like most sours, it’s pretty straightforward and doesn’t require too many ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
– Angostura bitters
– Angostura 7 year rum (or another nice, dark Caribbean rum)
– Some fresh lime juice and limes for slicing
– Orgeat sugar syrup
– Some egg whites
PREPARATION:
– Get all your ingredients laid out and make sure your juice is pre-squeezed (an ounce per drink)
– You’ll want some fancy martini glasses for this (should hold at least six fluid ounces)
– You’ll need all your normal bar tools for this too (shakers, strainers, etc)
MIXING: (per drink)
Add the following to your shaker:
1 oz Angostura bitters
1 oz Angostura 7 year rum
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz orgeat syrup
1 egg white per drink
Once everything is in the shaker, proceed to dry shake (without ice) for about 20-30 seconds. This allows the egg white to pulverize and makes your sour extra fluffy.
Add your ice and shake again for another 20-30 seconds, then double strain into a martini glass.
Cut a super thin lime wheel (cut off about 1/3 of the tip of the lime and cut horizontally) and drop into the martini glass. It should be so thin that the actual wheel floats.
Don’t be intimidated by how dark and scary the drink looks. It actually tastes delicious so once you take your first sip, you’ll probably already be getting ready to make your second one. This is a great, fun drink and the rum base makes it ideal as we start to transition into winter.
