Pinch Hitter

The Pinch Hitter is another inconspicuous spirit-free libation that will certainly satisfy your craving for a traditional Sour cocktail.  Primarily consisting of lemon juice and ginger syrup, creator Derek Brown also incorporates a touch of apple cider vinegar to give this cocktail some additional dimension that mere ginger syrup on its own can’t provide.  When it comes to presentation, it’s imperative you incorporate egg white in the cocktail to get the familiar thick, velvety layer on top.  Now, if using egg white grosses you out, an alternative that will still foam-up nicely in a cocktail is aquafaba — the liquid that you get from canned chickpeas / garbanzo beans.  Now, what you do with the chickpeas / garbanzo beans is completely up to you (homemade hummus is my go-to), but the aquafaba will keep in a sealed container stored in your refrigerator safely for a few days.  Whichever you use, any cocktail that has an egg white or aquafaba will require an extra step of shaking the contents without any ice (a.k.a. a “dry shake”) to allow the ingredients to mix and emulsify and create the dense foam.  Don’t forget to add those few drops of saline solution; it will help balance any bitterness from the citrus at the same time enhancing overall sweetness of the cocktail.  But don’t take my word for it, make one and try it yourself!

Pinch Hitter

In your shaker, combine the saline solution, apple cider vinegar, ginger syrup, and lemon juice.

• 6 drops of Saline Solution

• 1 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

• 1 oz of Ginger Syrup

• 2 oz of Lemon Juice

• 0.5 oz of Egg White (or Aquafaba)

Add the egg white and perform a dry-shake (without ice) to emulsify and incorporate it into the cocktail.  Next, carefully uncap your shaker, add ice and shake until it develops a frost.  Double-strain the contents (by pouring them from the shaker through a fine mesh strainer) into your chilled coupe glass.  Garnish with a lemon wheel.