Continuing our poem to heavily bittered drinks, I could not pass up the chance to try the Trinidad Sour. To date it is the most heavily bittered drink I have ever tried (though there may be one to surpass it in the immediate future). I first came up on this creation when Paul Clarke blogged about it last summer during his mad dash to post 30 times in 30 days. The drink initially caught his notice because of the whopping full ounce of Angostura bitters. I have to admit that it made me do a double take as well. The drink is the original creation of Giuseppe Gonzalez of Painkiller in NYC.
Trinidad Sour
1 ounce Angostura Bitters
1 ounce orgeat syrup
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce Rittenhouse rye
Notes on ingredients/method: The orgeat syrup that I used was not homemade, but a Monin product. The rule of the house is no making new syrups until the old ones are used up because of space constraints. Well, unless they are totally gross--we do have standards.
Like the Alabazam, the high amount of bitters are apparent in the drink's color, opacity, and pink foam. The reddish hue, however, is much darker. Cinnamon, allspice, and cloves dominate the aroma. And it tastes exactly as it smells, a glorious combination of spices, like liquid Christmas. The lemon flavor is more apparent mid-sip with the almond syrup's sweetness providing the appropriate balance. The finish is dry and full of the more astringent aspects of the Angostura. Complex and balanced, this drink is a really interesting take on what a sour is. The almond flavors make an especially nice touch. And despite the ridiculous amount of bitters, the refreshing qualities make is one excellent summer cocktail.
