Trinidad Sour

Some drinks look strange on paper. If you’ve ever mixed even a single Manhattan or an Old Fashioned, you’re familiar with the dark, potent powers of Angostura bitters. Most cocktails that call for the ingredient use only a dash or two to add some complexity and bolster flavors, essentially like finishing a dish with salt and pepper. Using an entire ounce and a half of the highly aromatic bitters as the base of the cocktail is almost unheard of. But that’s what’s called for in the Trinidad Sour, a drink from Las Vegas bartender Giuseppe González.

Angostura bitters clock in around 45% alcohol, so using it as the base of the cocktail is similar to using a whiskey or rum in terms of alcohol level and potency. The big difference is the intense, bold botanicals of the bitters, the exact recipe of which is a closely guarded secret. There’s not really a comparable spirit. While some of the more botanical-heavy, bittersweet amari would be closest, they usually lack the high proof and the intensity.

The bitters are bolstered with a half-ounce of rye whiskey to lend additional spice and structure—whichever rye you prefer for your Manhattan or Sazerac will fit here nicely. For sweetness, the drink gets an ounce of orgeat rather than the more familiar simple syrup. This nut-based syrup can sometimes be hard to find on store shelves, but brands like BG Reynolds, Liber & Co. and even Torani sell bottles of it online. If you want, you can always have a go at making your own orgeat.

Along with the orgeat, lemon juice helps balance the herbal intensity of the bitters. All together it makes the Trinidad Sour a rich, singular delight.