Salt: it’s what your cocktail has been missing. “Salt in drinks is underrated,” says Nahiel Nazzal, bar director and partner of San Francisco’s Pearl 6101. “It adds balance, opens your palate, and makes you want to take another sip.” Nazzal loves stirring a pinch into classics like Negronis as well as drinks with fruitier notes, like this strawberry daiquiri, which relies on an easy berry-infused simple syrup and just a sprinkle of salt. You won’t even know the salt’s there—but you’ll be glad to have it.
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What you’ll need
Cocktail Shaker
$20 At Amazon
Hawthorne Strainer
$7 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$13 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Ingredients
Syrup
8
1
Assembly
1½
½
¾
Preparation
Syrup
Step 1
Bring strawberries and 2 cups water to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer gently, swirling occasionally, until strawberries are softened and have lost most of their color, 15–20 minutes.
Step 2
Strain into a small saucepan, pressing on berries to extract as much liquid as possible; reserve berries for another use. (You should have about 1 cup liquid.) Add sugar to liquid in saucepan and return to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, then cover and chill until cold, at least 1 hour.
Do ahead: Syrup can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep chilled.
Assembly
Step 3
To make 1 cocktail, combine rum, Cappelletti, lime juice, ½ oz. strawberry syrup, and a small pinch of salt in a cocktail shaker. Add 4–6 ice cubes, cover, and shake vigorously until outside of shaker is very cold, about 20 seconds. Double-strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a strawberry.