Chinotto Fizz

Chinotto Fizz by Bryan Schneider

Here’s a toast to a Rainer Popp. In honor of his newest trick lock, I’m revisiting the “unlocked” cocktail category, my puzzling term for non-alcoholic cocktails. These can be incredibly complex and are extremely popular, with numerous bespoke options typically available on the menu of any self respecting craft cocktail bar or restaurant nowadays. Non-alcoholic “spirits” options have grown exponentially in recent years as well. I’m much more partial to spirit-free, zero-proof, or my favorite “free-spirited” cocktails that don’t try to rely on a non-alcoholic spirit, which can’t usually replace the booze effectively. The best drinks are instead complex assemblies of interesting ingredients and infusions, just like the creative cocktails on the rest of the menu.

givin’ the fizz the bizz

This one, by New York’s Bryan Schneider, gets its backbone from a deliciously robust and bittersweet bitter orange Italian soda called Chinotto, which is not widely known or consumed in the US. There is also a secret ingredient - coconut aminos, a cooking alternative to soy sauce used to add umami flavor to dishes. It marries the bitter soda and sweet nutty orgeat syrup perfectly while the lemon juice brings acid and tartness to the cocktail. Of course I didn’t have Chinotto handy (I could have sworn I did!) so used a combination of blood orange and red bitter Italian soda, which worked nicely but lacked the deep rouge color of Chinotto. Why drink boring soda when you could have this! Here’s to unlocking another great addition to the Locks and Libations series. Cheers!

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Chinotto Fizz by Bryan Schneider

½ oz orgeat

½ oz lemon

2 dashes coconut aminos

Chinotto soda

Combine ingredients in a glass and stir. Orange wheel and cherry garnish.

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