Drink in History: Trinidad Sour

What do companies like Disney, Apple, and KFC have in common with our featured drink of the month?

They all experienced major failures before becoming a success. The Trinidad Sour—bitters, lemon juice, orgeat, and rye—was a cocktail competition entry in 2009 by Guiseppe Giovanni of Clover Club in New York City (he’s now in Vegas). The Trinidad Sour was a complete flop; it didn’t even make the competition’s top ten best cocktails.

Much like the companies mentioned above, the drink may have been ahead of its time. In fact, for 2009, it was incredibly shocking Angostura bitters wasn’t just a sprinkle afterthought but the star ingredient of the cocktail. Yes, you read it right: Angostura bitters was the base spirit of Giovanni’s creation. (Something to remember: This was years before bar-goers would thirst for bitter-forward cocktails and bitter digestifs).

Although the blood-red colored cocktail didn’t win the contest, it appeared on menus around the world and is considered a modern-day classic cocktail.

So, how did the Trinidad Sour go from zero to hero? Luckily, we can go to the source, barkeep Guiseppe Giovanni, for answers.

What inspired you to make such a bold move with bitters as the base spirit?

A cocktail in Italy, the Trinidad Especial, that used bitters as a base, made with equal parts booze and sugar.

Were you surprised that Trinidad Sour didn’t win?

Yeah! I had made 30 to 40 cocktails for competitions before. I was undefeated. The Trinidad Sour broke my record. I lost. And it’s the only cocktail that becomes my legacy? Funny how the universe works.

The inspiration behind the name?

It’s where Angostura comes from.

Why do you think the Trinidad Sour not only survived but thrived?

I think because bartenders made it go viral by passing it on to guests and other bartenders, one by one. If you’re a serious bartender, you have a clientele that trusts you. The Trinidad Sour is so outside the box, it has cookie spices, it’s stringent, and sweet. It does a lot of things that give your guest a go. When you pop the cap off the Angostura and pour it into a jigger, you surprise people. It’s lasted because any bar can make it. The ingredients are what most bars already have.

Why do you think people have latched on to bitter forward cocktails?

Bitterness and high proof give you the same response: You have to slow down. An Old Fashioned slows you down. Bitter cocktails do the same thing. They slow you down. So, you drink less, savor, and you feel better. Bitter forward drinks also give people the sense they are drinking healthier, more elevated.

What type of bitters are must-have for every bar?

You only need a few: Angostura Orange, Peychaud, Chocolate bitters, and something spicy, like Hellfire bitters.

Here’s the original:  

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