Allspice
A warm, aromatic spice (dried berries, not a blend) with notes of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Origin
The Caribbean and Central America, from the dried, unripe berries of the Pimenta dioica tree, native to Jamaica and southern Mexico.
History
Allspice takes its English name from early European traders who thought its aroma combined clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg all at once, so one spice seemed to cover several others. Spanish colonists encountered it in the Caribbean and Central America in the 16th century and shipped it back to Europe, where it became a staple of both sweet baking and savory Caribbean cooking, most famously in Jamaican jerk seasoning. Whole dried allspice berries later found their way into bar syrups and infused spirits, most notably allspice dram, giving the tiki repertoire its warm, clove-forward backbone.
Flavor profile
Warm and clove-forward, with overlapping notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of black pepper.
Tasting notes
A single note that reads as several spices at once: clove leads, backed by cinnamon warmth, a nutmeg sweetness, and a light peppery bite. Used whole in mulled or hot drinks, or infused into syrups and liqueurs where its warmth rounds out citrus and rum.
Substitutes
- A mix of ground cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg in roughly equal parts, if whole or ground allspice isn't on hand.
- Allspice dram (pimento dram), for a liquid, already-sweetened version of the same flavor in a cocktail.
- Ground cloves alone, in a smaller amount, if nothing else is available - it captures the dominant note even without the fuller complexity.
Common cocktails