DISSECTING A COCKTAIL
One Way Trigger
By Tony Cross
Almost all the cocktails you see on bar menus and in social media and books are either classics or a spin on a classic.
The caipirinha is a South American cocktail, almost like a daiquiri on the rocks, but different, and there’s a reason why it’s the national drink of Brazil. I wanted to use the traditional recipe as a template and hopefully create a drink that would keep the integrity of the original while adding the nuanced flavors of a favorite fruit and spice: pineapple and ginger. At the time, I had just started making a rich ginger syrup, so the idea seemed like a no-brainer. Muddling pineapple chunks in caipirinhas was nothing new, so I decided to go another route: pineapple-infused cachaça, a sugar cane-based rum indigenous to Brazil. This, with muddled limes and the rich ginger syrup, would do it. Super simple, incredibly tasty. The One Way Trigger was one of my most popular cocktails and, to this day, it’s still one of the best cocktails I’ve ever made. Don’t take my word for it, build one yourself and let me know what you think.
Specifications
2 ounces pineapple-infused cachaça*
1/2 ounce rich ginger syrup**
3/4-1 lime, quartered
Execution
Combine quartered limes and ginger syrup in a rocks glass. Muddle to extract juice and release oils. Add pineapple-infused cachaça and cracked ice. Stir to incorporate ingredients.
* Core and dice one pineapple. Put in a glass container and add 750 milliliters of cachaça. Store at room temperature for 2-3 days, agitating container once daily. Strain through nut milk bag, rebottle and refrigerate. Good for one month before flavors begin to dissipate.
** Place 1 cup of chopped unpeeled and washed ginger in food processor or blender and process until finely chopped. Combine ginger, 1 cup of sugar and 3 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until a rich syrup is created. Let cool and strain through a nut milk bag. Bottle and refrigerate.