Ginger Inferno

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Cocktail History

The Ginger Inferno is a tiki cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, as a tropical-inspired experimentation that uses ginger liqueur. Named for the root and the heat of an erupting volcano, the recipe takes the classic formula of rum, citrus, and spices and adds the Polynesian flair of ginger to balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

White Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then typically left unaged or briefly aged and filtered to develop a light, spiced flavor.

Dark Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then aged, often in charred barrels, to develop a full-bodied, caramelized flavor.

Overproof Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged and contains over 50% alcohol content. I used J. Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum.

Ginger Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with ginger root, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bright, spicy flavor.

Velvet Falernum Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with limes, almonds, cloves, ginger root, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, spiced Caribbean flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Cinnamon Syrup: This is a sweetener made with cinnamon sticks, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spiced, aromatic flavor.

Lime Slice: This is a slice of lime that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Candied Ginger: This is a type of confection made by cooking ginger root in sugar syrup, then applying a sugar coating and drying it to develop a chewy texture and sweet, spicy flavor.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Brown-yellow color with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Lime and ginger

• Taste: Tongue-tingling rum and ginger flavor that evolves into cinnamon and tart citrus

• Finish: More pleasant ginger burn

Kendall’s Take: “This might just be one of my favorite tiki cocktails. I was hooked on it from the first few sips thanks to its delightful savoriness and hint of burn from the ginger. I would have to say the Ginger Inferno can only be described as divine. If you like a bit of unexpected flair in your summer cocktails, this is a great one to have on your menu.”

Recipe