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Sergeant Pepper (Pineapple-Gin Cocktail With Cumin) Recipe

Maggie Hoffman
Published: Last Updated:
Sergeant Pepper (Pineapple-Gin Cocktail With Cumin) Recipe

[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]

Warm-weather drinks made with pineapple are often one-note, and that note is sweet. But this cocktail, adapted from a recipe created by the MINA Test Kitchen bar team for an Indian-themed pop-up series in San Francisco, is mellow, earthy, tart, and fruity. Orgeat, a rich almond syrup, mixes with the pineapple to give a creamy, tropical touch without making the drink heavy the way that coconut would. The MINA Test Kitchen team rims the glass with a mix of cayenne, cinnamon, and sugar, but it's much less fuss to simply add a pinch of the hot stuff to the cocktail before shaking.

Why It Works

  • Toasting the cumin for the simple syrup gives it a bolder, more vibrant savory flavor.
  • Shaking the cocktail with a large ice cube amplifies the foamy, rich texture, while smaller ice cubes added to the tin make sure the drink gets proper dilution.

Read more: This Savory Pineapple Cocktail Is a Vacation in a Glass

  • Yield:Makes 2 cocktails
  • Active time: 10 minutes
  • Total time:25 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Cumin-Pepper Syrup:
  • 1 tablespoon (6g) whole cumin seeds
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water
  • 1/2 cup (112g) sugar
  • 5 whole black peppercorns
  • For the Cocktails:
  • 1 1/2 ounces (45ml) fresh pineapple juice from about 1/4 of a medium peeled pineapple (see note)
  • 1 ounce (30ml) high-quality orgeat (such as Small Hand Foods)
  • 1 ounce (30ml) fresh juice from 1 lime
  • 1 ounce (30ml) Cumin-Pepper Syrup
  • 4 ounces (120ml) gin, such as Calyx (see note)
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 large and 2 small ice cubes, or standard ice cubes

Directions

  1. 1.

    For the Cumin-Pepper Syrup: In a small saucepan, toast cumin seeds over medium heat until fragrant and just beginning to darken. Add water, sugar, and black peppercorns, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes, strain, and let cool before using.

  2. 2.

    For the Cocktails: Add pineapple juice, orgeat, lime juice, Cumin-Pepper Syrup, gin, and cayenne to a cocktail shaker and add one large and two standard ice cubes (or fill 2/3 full with standard ice cubes). Shake until well chilled and frothy, about 30 seconds. Strain into two cocktail glasses and serve immediately.

This Recipe Appears In
This Savory Pineapple Cocktail Is a Vacation in a Glass

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