This hearty rum-and-amaro twist on an egg flip was born after the No. 9 Park bar team sampled the Gingerbread Gâteau from the restaurant’s annual holiday lunch menu.

“We tasted that on the first day of our holiday lunch and it was just beautiful—all those baking spices came through,” says head bartender Jared Conklin. “So myself and the bar team wrote down a recipe and transported it into a drink.”

Conklin chose an aged rum, Plantation Barbados 5 Years, for its coconut and baking spice flavors, and an amaro—Nonino—that could cut the sweetness. For the all-important ginger flavor, he went with a French ginger liqueur. The drink’s hearty yuletide profile is further enhanced by allspice dram, cinnamon syrup, and just a half dash of black pepper tincture to finish.

“That half dash gives you a little bit of spice on the back end without changing the flavor of the drink too much,” says Conklin.

The Gingerbread Flip is rich, dense, and creamy, with all the spice you’d expect—yet it doesn’t feel heavy. You can thank a good shake for that wondrous quality.

“The ice kind of banging around integrates everything so you have this really, smooth, aerated, delicious cocktail with a beautiful head on top,” says Conklin.

Gingerbread Flip
1 whole egg
1 ounce Plantation Barbados 5 Years Rum
1 ounce Amaro Nonino
½ ounce Amer Gingembre
¼ ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
½ ounce cinnamon syrup*
½ dash black pepper tincture**
Fresh nutmeg, for garnish

Combine all ingredients into a shaker without ice. Shake to integrate, then add ice and shake again until chilled. Double strain into a coupe glass and garnish with grated nutmeg. Serve.

*Cinnamon syrup (yields 1 quart)
6 cinnamon sticks
1 pint water
1 pint sugar

Break up cinnamon sticks and add them to a container filled with hot water. Add sugar, stir to incorporate and allow mixture to sit overnight. Double strain into sealed container. Keeps two weeks, refrigerated.

**Black pepper tincture (yields about 5½ ounces)
1 ounce freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces Everclear
3 ounces water

Steep ground pepper in Everclear for three days, then strain into a sealed container using a coffee filter. Add water to mixture. Lasts indefinitely; no refrigeration necessary.

Brian Samuels