Spicy Fifty

A sour bent toward heat: vanilla vodka and elderflower cordial lend a soft, floral sweetness while fresh lime and honey keep it taut. Muddled red chili lays a clean burn underneath, building slowly behind the cool, silky body, and the sliver of chili on the rim warns of what follows each sip.

Classic

Ingredients

  • 1.75 ozVodka(vanilla-flavored)
  • 0.5 ozElderflower Cordial
  • 0.5 ozLime Juice(fresh)
  • 0.33 ozHoney Syrup
  • 2 pieceChili Pepper(thin slices, muddled)

Garnish: Chili Pepper

Preparation

Shaken · Coupe · Up

  1. 1.

    muddle

    Lightly muddle the red chili slices in the shaker to release their heat.

  2. 2.

    add

    Add the vanilla vodka, elderflower cordial, fresh lime juice, and honey syrup.

  3. 3.

    shake

    Add ice and shake well until thoroughly chilled.

  4. 4.

    strain

    Double-strain into a chilled coupe to catch the chili and ice shards.

  5. 5.

    garnish

    Garnish with a slice of red chili pepper at the rim.

Origin

Bartender Salvatore Calabrese devised the drink around 2004–2005 as the house signature for Bar FIFTY, also known as Salvatore at FIFTY, on St James's Street in London. The cocktail takes its name from that bar. In 2020 the International Bartenders Association gave the recipe official status, placing it in the New Era category of its cocktail list.

Sources

Flavor Profile

heat
28%
dilution
27%
sweet
18%
citrus
16%
floral
15%
viscosity
15%
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