Pinch Hitter Recipe
An alcohol-free sour with real bite: lemon and ginger sharpened by a little cider vinegar and salt, under a silky aquafaba foam.
- Category: Mocktail
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 0%
- Difficulty: Medium
- Alcohol-free: ✓
Ingredients
- Fresh lemon juice60 ml (2 oz)
- Ginger syrup30 ml (1 oz)
- Aquafaba15 ml (0.5 oz)
- Apple cider vinegar1 tsp
- Saline solution6 drop
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker without ice and shake to build the foam.
- Add ice and shake again until well chilled.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Garnish
Lemon wheel
What it tastes like
The citrus acidity leads, it smells of lemon and lime peel and it wears a foam cap.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly squeezed lemon; one lemon gives 30-40 ml. It can swap with lime, but lemon is softer and less aromatic, so use a touch more.
- Ginger syrup
- Ginger syrup — grated fresh ginger steeped with equal parts sugar and water, then strained. In a pinch use ginger beer, but then cut the sugar elsewhere in the recipe.
- Saline solution
- One part salt to five parts water. A few drops will not make the drink salty; they suppress bitterness and push the fruit forward — the same job salt does in food.
The Story
A recipe by Washington, D.C. bartender and author Derek Brown, who has championed serious no-proof cocktails.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Pinch Hitter mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- Does a Pinch Hitter contain alcohol?
- No. It is safe to serve to children, to anyone pregnant, and to whoever is driving.
- Is a Pinch Hitter hard to make?
- Moderate. A shaker or mixing glass plus a strainer covers it.
The main ingredient here is also a dream symbol: Apple in a dream
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.