The Trinidad Spritzer

I arrived at Vietopia twenty minutes early. Now, arriving early is normal for me, it gives me time to case the place. I sat down in the bar to wait for my group to arrive and for me to get ready for a relaxing evening out.

Vietopia Vietnamese Cuisine
5176 Buffalo Speedway
Houston TX 77005
(713) 664-7303

“What would you like to make for me?” I ask Victor, the barman, a stylish young man who looks like he might be tending bar at night and attending college during the day.

“Oh, anything you like. I know them all,” is Victor’s confident reply.

“Negroni, up,” I say, not wanting to task his skills or threaten his confidence.

“Sure, What’s in it?”

He and I talk a little and it seems that Victor, the barman, had set my expectations a bit high. It also seems that Victor, the barman, has no Campari.

“You have a nice bottle of Woodford Reserve, so how about a Manhattan, up?” I ask.

Angostura Bitters

“Sure, no problem.”

Turns out that Victor can make a nice Manhattan. So I sit and sip as my friends arrive, one by one, each also asking Victor for a drink that he might be able to make. Some he knows, some he doesn’t. (The request for a sazerac blows him away completely.)

My Manhattan has gone dry. Now, here’s a trick that I learned long ago, although it’s not always one that I abide by. It’s called “One strong. One weak.”

“Victor, I’ll take a Trinidad Spritzer.”

“Sure. What’s that?” is Victor’s well-anticipated reply.

“A Trinidad Spritzer is club soda from your gun, topped with about four or five healthy dashes of Angostura bitters.”

Trinidad Spritzer

5 ounces club soda
1 teaspoon Angostura bitters (4-5 dashes)

Pour soda over ice in a rocks glass, top with bitters.
Do not stir. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Serve with a straw or swizzle stick.

“One strong. One weak. That’s my secret for a long night out. I’ll be here another three hours and I’ll want to drive home when I’m done.”

July 2, 2008 by John Martin under Food, Spirits

One Response to “The Trinidad Spritzer”

  1. Posted by: Pages tagged "spritzer" - 07/15/2008

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