Spiritless Bartender Technique #2: Salt Tincture

Salt can make a wonderful addition to cocktails and, though now a trendy ingredient, is nothing new. I personally realized the value of salt when I first had a Salty Dog, a combination of vodka and grapefruit with a salt rim. In small doses, salt suppresses the perception of bitterness, which can create a thicker drink with a more round mouthfeel.

The best way to add salt to a drink is by making a tincture, which might sound difficult but it’s not. If you can make simple syrup, you can make a salt tincture. Combine four parts of water with one part of salt. Ideally by weight but it’s fine to do by volume, too. Shake or stir until the crystals have dissolved. Add the tincture to a dropper bottle and use sparingly.

Of course, it works in a range of cocktails (like the Salty Dog) but may even work best with drinks using bitter aperitifs––where it balances the bitterness––such as our ​​Spiritless Paper Plane.