• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Stir & Strain

  • About
  • Recipes
    • Make or Buy
    • Gin
    • Mezcal
    • Rum
    • Tequila
    • Vodka
    • Whiskey
    • Wine
    • Low Rent Cocktail of the Month
  • Gift Guides
  • Cocktail Presets
  • Seasons
    • spring
    • summer
    • Fall
    • winter
  • Supplies

Trinidad Spell (with a whole lot of bitters)

March 8, 2014 by elana 4 Comments

Trinidad Spell Cocktail // stirandstrain.comOne day trolling the internet I came across a drink called the Stormy Mai-Tai. This tropical sounding cocktail totally threw me for a loop–there was a whole lot of bitters in there. Like, a WHOLE lot. An ounce and a half.

Somewhere along the way through my cocktail education, I mistakenly thought bitters contained lethal amounts of alcohol that when taken in large doses would kill me. Clearly I was mistaken. Here was a drink that showed you could use bitters as a base and not just an accent. Also, I had overlooked the fact that Angostura only clocked in at 44.7% ABV, not lethal.Trinidad Spell Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

I had thought of recreating the Stormy Mai-Tai here for this site, but when I was asked to come up with a bitters-heavy drink for Serious Drinks, I thought I’d see where else I could get bitters to work in large doses; so I turned to Tiki drinks.

I adapted the Polynesian Spell (which you can find in the Grog Log) by replacing the grape juice (there’s a head scratcher), triple sec, and peach brandy with Angostura, apricot brandy, passion fruit and citrus; I kept the gin. I was going out on a limb trying to shove Angostura in there, but after a couple of tweaks…wow. It was a success.

1 ounce Angostura bitters
1 ounce gin, London Dry style
3/4 ounce Rothman & Winter Apricot Brandy
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice from 1/4 orange
1/2 ounce passion fruit syrup (see note)
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 lemon

bamboo straws

Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled 2/3 with ice. Shake hard for 30 seconds to incorporate and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish according to your own inner-Tiki style.

Yes, the flavor is strongly bittered, but there’s also a cascade of cherry and clove, fruit and sweetness. The aroma is fiery from the Angostura with strong hints of passionfruit and orange. The slight numbing of your tongue may serve to remind you: you’re drinking a heck of a lot of bitters.

For this recipe, I used a Cobalt shaker*. I was sent this shaker to try out and I’ve used for several of my tiki drinks for a few reasons. One, the shaker gets things cold, really cold. And two, for the boozier drinks, I like the small ice chips that slowly melt as I drink the cocktail. It’s also roomy for large volume recipes like these too.

cobalt shaker // Trinidad Spell Cocktail // stirandstrain.com

*Items generously given gratis and appear here because I like them. All opinions are my own and no monetary compensation was given. For more info on sponsored products, affiliate links, and gifted booze, please visit the About page.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit

Like this:

Like Loading...

You might also enjoy...

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: angostura, apricot liqueur, bitters, gin, lemon juice, orange, passion fruit, Rothman & WInter Apricot Brandy, tiki

Previous Post: « Monday Booze News: Spirited Awards nominations, Al Capone’s cocktail shaker, and brunch is gonna suck in NYC now
Next Post: Monday Booze News: mushroom cocktails, Del’s lemonade shandy and George Washington was a lush »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Andrea

    March 11, 2014 at 10:55 am

    Drop dead gorgeous cocktail and photo. This one I have got to try. I tried the Trinidad Sour and wasn’t too put off by the huge amount of Angostura. Great work!

    Reply
    • elana

      March 11, 2014 at 11:01 am

      Thanks Andrea! I love a bitter drink but this surprisingly balanced due to the fruit. It’s my husband’s new favorite cocktail.

      Reply
  2. JFL

    March 14, 2014 at 4:21 pm

    I have to find that brandy so I can make this. Where did you get the straws? I need to buy/steal your idea for future photos. Lovely drink and photo. Sounds truly tiki and delish.

    Reply
    • elana

      March 16, 2014 at 9:46 am

      Ha! Thanks! Straws come from Amazon here. There are a lot more cool looking straws there lately.

      Reply

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Stay in Touch

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
Classic Cocktail Presets // stirandstrain.com

Recent Posts

  • Coming back online // you can’t wear a mask and drink at the same time
  • Home Bar Spring Favorites
  • Monday Booze News A new low-abv drink to try, jello shots for St. Patrick's Day, and getting to know Tennessee whiskey
  • Monday Booze News All about Chartreuse, sleep where your beer is made, and more tiki mugs you'll want to buy!
  • Tequila Cazadores: Cristalino Launch
  • Mixed Citrus Margaritas for Margarita Day Learn to make a squash syrup (no, not the vegetable!)
  • Building a Home Bar: Keeping Cool with the Newair Premiere Line Fridge
  • Monday Booze News Presidents Day Drinking Edition


Copyright © 2025 Stir and Strain .
All rights reserved. Original photography may not be used without prior written permission.
Alcoholic drinks are intended for adult use only. Mind your local drinking laws.

%d