The STEM editor in me (which I was once upon a time) find the mix of English and metric units in your recipes disturbing. Not enough not to make them, but disturbing nonetheless.
Mixed units I will defend. In my stored cocktail recipes, I use fluid oz for measurement of volumes, and my syrup measures are by weight and I use grams. For my tastes, I know that when Peter says 3/4 oz syrup, that translates to 24 g by weight (8 g/1/4 oz). But I am probably not one to talk, I perform FEA simulations and often use a system of units that use Length = mm, Stress = psi & Time= seconds. I like the use of mm because all the piece part drawings are in mm for some reason. To be a consistent set of units that makes for a pretty funky mass unit.
Totally fair. And yes: It’s on the sweet side. Like I said — it’s supposed to be a sweet drink!
But I don’t think it’s overly, cloyingly sweet. It’s designed to be rich and decadent and layered.
And if you want something a little less over the top, there’s the minimalist version, which is quite good. I printed three recipes to give folks a choice!
I tried a version. 1 oz of coco lopez with 1/2 oz of lime juice was a bit sweet. I will probably have to get coconut milk and to get the ratio of coconut that I want without as much sweetness. Until then I will up the lime juice to balance. I really appreciate the background and the "theory" of your article, I was kinda waiting to try a Pina Colada until you wrote about it. Cheers!
These all look great! Coconut milk is an essential addition IMHO. I’m a big proponent of frozen pineapple chunks as it really helps the texture with the benefits of fresh juice. A 1/2 tsp of Xanthan gum does wonders for blended drinks preventing separation for those people that somehow don’t slurp these down in 3 sips
In general, I prefer saline/salt in simpler drinks. Salt heightens and elevates flavors, helping to separate and more fully articulate the different notes (think of how salt works on, say, a steak). So while it's not a hard and fast rule, the more complex the drink, the less likely I am to use salt in it.
Salt also mitigates the aggressiveness of bitters. That can be great if you are trying to dial down a punchy amaro in a Negroni type drink, but for the most part I don't use dasher bottle bitters and salt (there are some exceptions), which is relevant for the most complex version.
And yeah, you are also right -- I tend to prefer salt in drinks with lighter spirits (gin sours, Daiquiris, Martinis, and so on).
The STEM editor in me (which I was once upon a time) find the mix of English and metric units in your recipes disturbing. Not enough not to make them, but disturbing nonetheless.
And why no Cynar?
There might — maybe! — be a Cynar version coming.
FWIW, I recently made a Pink Hawaiian – the pinkness coming from a bit of Campari – which made a nice, complex, but still recognizably Tiki drink.
160-200 pennyweights of ice🙃
Mixed units I will defend. In my stored cocktail recipes, I use fluid oz for measurement of volumes, and my syrup measures are by weight and I use grams. For my tastes, I know that when Peter says 3/4 oz syrup, that translates to 24 g by weight (8 g/1/4 oz). But I am probably not one to talk, I perform FEA simulations and often use a system of units that use Length = mm, Stress = psi & Time= seconds. I like the use of mm because all the piece part drawings are in mm for some reason. To be a consistent set of units that makes for a pretty funky mass unit.
Ah. Trip next weekend. I should trade two Sazeracs for a Pima Colada and a Mai Tai.
Can I substitute Smith & Cross for the Worthy Park 109? If not, what's are some good substitute rums?
Yes! For the higher proof component, your best bets are:
-Worthy Park 109
-Plantation OFTD
-Smith & Cross
They are not precise matches but all have a high proof intensity that really helps the rum stand out here.
It might be good, but that last one looks pretty sweet to me.
Totally fair. And yes: It’s on the sweet side. Like I said — it’s supposed to be a sweet drink!
But I don’t think it’s overly, cloyingly sweet. It’s designed to be rich and decadent and layered.
And if you want something a little less over the top, there’s the minimalist version, which is quite good. I printed three recipes to give folks a choice!
I tried a version. 1 oz of coco lopez with 1/2 oz of lime juice was a bit sweet. I will probably have to get coconut milk and to get the ratio of coconut that I want without as much sweetness. Until then I will up the lime juice to balance. I really appreciate the background and the "theory" of your article, I was kinda waiting to try a Pina Colada until you wrote about it. Cheers!
These all look great! Coconut milk is an essential addition IMHO. I’m a big proponent of frozen pineapple chunks as it really helps the texture with the benefits of fresh juice. A 1/2 tsp of Xanthan gum does wonders for blended drinks preventing separation for those people that somehow don’t slurp these down in 3 sips
Why is there only saline in the first recipe? Does salt not work as well with the darker rums?
Good question.
In general, I prefer saline/salt in simpler drinks. Salt heightens and elevates flavors, helping to separate and more fully articulate the different notes (think of how salt works on, say, a steak). So while it's not a hard and fast rule, the more complex the drink, the less likely I am to use salt in it.
Salt also mitigates the aggressiveness of bitters. That can be great if you are trying to dial down a punchy amaro in a Negroni type drink, but for the most part I don't use dasher bottle bitters and salt (there are some exceptions), which is relevant for the most complex version.
And yeah, you are also right -- I tend to prefer salt in drinks with lighter spirits (gin sours, Daiquiris, Martinis, and so on).
Thank you for the detailed response! The last bit helps explain why the dirty martini works