Nicole Quist
| WHAT I ’ M DRINKING NOW |
Nicole Quist
IS BEVERAGE DIRECTOR OF BARTACO
There was all this beautiful mint , believe it or not , still thriving outside in my gardens that we ’ d planted a few years ago , like this lovely winter surprise . It inspired me to shake up some Oaxacan Sunshines , a Suze liqueur / tequila inspired cocktail I had created last year for Bartaco ’ s Margarita March .
I was fortunate to travel to Oaxaca a couple of years ago to visit Montelobos mezcal . I came back completely inspired by the people and the culture and the markets , all the beautiful , fresh citrus and tropical fruit , and I ’ m just in love with Suze gentian liqueur . I started playing with these flavors and the sweetness from muddling small tangerines with mint and agave brought this drink together .
My Oaxacan Sunshine is designed to transport you to a tropical climate . She ’ s a little beachy , a little Tiki and super refreshing . Bittersweet notes from Suze complement Libélula joven tequila , plus fresh mint ’ s vegetal notes and the sweet / tart Liber passionfruit syrup with a pop of smoke from the Montelobos mezcal mist . Tangerines here add bright , fresh sweet citrus . The chia garnish is just playful — to make the cocktail look like a passion fruit and add some fun texture .
I keep my kitchen stocked with lots of fresh citrus — blood oranges and tangerines right now and all season long , followed by cara cara oranges in the early spring , lemons and always lots of fresh limes . With each sip , I get to escape back to Oaxaca and bask in the sun for a few minutes .
OAXACAN SUNSHINE
½ Tangerine ( peeled and cut in 2 ) 3 Large mint leaves ½ oz . Agave simple syrup ¾ oz . Liber Passionfruit syrup 1 oz . Lime juice 1 ½ oz . Libelula tequila ½ oz . Suze gentian liqueur Barspoon prepped chia seeds for garnish * Fresh mint sprig for garnish Montelobos mezcal ( in a mist bottle )
Add the tangerine , mint and agave simple to an empty cocktail shaker . Lightly muddle to juice the tangerine and release the mint flavor — no need to pulverize . Add all remaining ingredients to the cocktail shaker ( except garnish ). Fill with ice , then shake well . Strain into rocks glass and add ice . Top with 1-2 barspoons of prepped chia seeds . Garnish with fresh mint sprig and mist with 1 pump mezcal spray .
* For Chia seeds ( prep at least 1 hour before use ) Fill a rocks glass halfway with chia seeds . Top with water so seeds are submerged . They will plump and begin to stay together . Spoon as needed with a barspoon . The seeds can last 7 days when stored in storage container , sealed and refrigerated .
10 | SPRING 2021 • CHEERS @ HOME