Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails

Soda Jerk

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Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 07/9/22
A Collins glass sits on a slatted wooden table against a blue wall. The drink within is opaque orange and topped with a thick head of foam, which is garnished with lime zest.
Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Fizz is a classic category of mixed drinks that is, essentially, an egg white sour topped with club soda. The most well-known versions of the drink are the Gin Fizz and its creamier variation the Ramos Gin Fizz, from New Orleans. The Soda Jerk, from bartending veteran Kevin Diedrich, relies on a base spirit rarely seen in fizzes. “This drink is a great variation on a fizz with tequila,” he says.

The Soda Jerk combines a high-quality blanco tequila with the famous Italian amaro Campari, as well as passion fruit puree and lime juice. It’s important to go with an unsweetened puree—not a passion fruit syrup that you might see in a Tiki drink like the Sea of Confusion or Smuggler’s Cove’s take on a Hurricane. Because the tartness of the right puree balances the sweetness of the other ingredients. “It’s a fun, refreshing, complex cocktail,” says Diedrich. “You’ll see the classic pairing of Campari and passion fruit going together very, very well.

While the Soda Jerk involves tequila, Campari and passion fruit, the drink closely resembles a boozy take on a soda fountain beverage, with vanilla-spiked simple syrup as well as cream soda standing in for the usual club soda. The result is a rich and creamy yet balanced fizz. “You get the vanilla notes off the cream soda along with the tequila and vanilla-infused agave, and it’s just a really fun long cocktail,” Diedrich adds.

Like any fizz, the drink can be served in a tall Collins glass with or without ice, depending on the size of the glass and the volume of the drink.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces blanco tequila
  • 1/2 ounce Campari
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/2 ounce passion fruit puree (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 ounce vanilla bean-infused agave syrup*
  • 1/2 ounce egg white
  • 2 ounces cream soda, chilled
  • Garnish: grated lime zest

Steps

  1. Add the blanco tequila, Campari, lime juice, passion fruit puree, vanilla bean-infused agave syrup and egg white into a shaker and dry-shake (without ice).

  2. Fill shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.

  3. Double-strain into a Collins glass. Depending on the size of the glass, you may need to add some fresh ice.

  4. Top with the cream soda.

  5. Garnish with grated lime zest.

*Vanilla bean-infused agave syrup: Stir together 4 ounces raw agave nectar and 4 ounces water until fully combined. Add 1 vanilla bean (split in half lengthwise) and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Remove the vanilla bean and store the syrup for up to a week in the refrigerator.

RAW EGG WARNING

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.