Sergeant Pepper (Pineapple-Gin Cocktail With Cumin) Recipe

By
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a writer and editor focusing on cocktails and food. She was the managing editor for Serious Eats until 2016 and is the digital director for Epicurious.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated Aug. 29, 2018
20160608-sargeant-pepper-cocktail-vicky-wasik-1.jpg
Vicky Wasik

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.

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.

Recipe Facts

Active: 10 mins
Total: 25 mins
Serves: 2 servings

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Ingredients

For the Cumin-Pepper Syrup:

  • 1 tablespoon (6g) whole cumin seeds

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) water

  • 1/2 cup (112g) sugar

  • 5 whole 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 cayenne pepper

  • 1 large and 2 small ice cubes, or standard ice cubes

Directions

  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. 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.

Notes

To make pineapple juice from scratch without a juicer, muddle or blend 3/4 cup of cubed peeled fresh pineapple, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. This cocktail was designed using Calyx Gin, which is dry, crisp, and loaded with spice and grapefruit. If you can't find the Calyx, choose a bold, juniper-heavy London Dry, not a softer, New Western–style gin.

Special Equipment

Muddler or juicer, cocktail shaker and strainer, fine-mesh strainer (if using muddler)

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
259 Calories
8g Fat
22g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 86mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 30mg 149%
Calcium 47mg 4%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 192mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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