This cocktail is my ode to pimento in liquid form. Pimento, aka “allspice” is the indigenous spice of my island, Jamaica. It has notes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg for an unmistakable and evocative taste, it’s scent, heady and seductive. It was a no brainer to marry my homemade pimento dram with the Rémy Martin VSOP as the flavours meld well with the baking spice, caramel and fruit notes of this fine champagne cognac.
To round out these culinary essences of taste sensation, local cacao bitters from finely flavoured Jamaican chocolate boosts this seductive punch that pulsates the palate. A squeeze of fresh lime juice rounds out the flavours.
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 30ml homemade pimento dram (recipe on Nyam and Trod website)
- 2 drops Hudson Cocktail Story Portland Blue Cacao Bitters
- 60ml Rémy Martin VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac
- Ginger ale, to top
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Caramelised ginger, for garnish
- Pimento grains, for garnish
Method
- Add ice to a shaker and pour in the pimento dram, cacao bitters, and Rémy Martin VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac. Shake well until combined.
- Fill a tumbler with ice and pour in the spiced cognac mixture.
- Top with ginger ale.
- Garnish with pimento grains and ginger.
- Serve immediately.
- Cheers!
* You must be 21 years and older to drink. Please drink responsibly!
Jacqui ‘JuicyChef’ Sinclair, founder of Nyam & Trod, is a British Jamaican award-winning chef, writer, and food culturist. She is a co-founder of Kingston Kitchen, an annual food event supporting food artisans. Jacqui has been an advocate of the Meatless Monday Global movement in Jamaica since 2011. Jacqui’s work has been featured in such publications as the Huffington Post, the Jamaica Observer, Saveur, The Jewish Post and numerous blogs. She has appeared on the Travel Channel’s ‘Bizarre Foods’ with Andrew Zimmern and Food & Wine’s Jamaica episode with Kwame Onwuachi.