By Jay Lyon
You only need to see today’s hipsters enjoying a Pabst Blue Ribbon to know that trends in cocktails can sometimes resemble trends in fashion: everything old is new again.
The same goes for many of today’s Mexican and Latin restaurants: They’re putting new twists on old favorites, while creating new specialty cocktails with big flavors.
Mixologists are tweaking menus to include the freshest seasonal ingredients in everything from specialty drinks to frozen cocktails, and they’re giving customers a new perspective on aromatics and even traditional liquors including mezcal.
CREATIVE COCKTAILS
New York City’s Desnuda Winebar & Cevicheria is one establishment cranking up the creativity level on the cocktail front.
“Our menu has been driven by craft cocktails and spirits with a focus on South American spirits and flavors. We change our menu seasonally, utilizing flavors and produce that work with our food menu, and highlight what is fresh and delicious at that time of year,” says Desnuda head bartender Jack Riley.
“Our spring menu is under construction now, but some winter cocktails we brought on include the Piña Vieja, an Old Fashioned-style cocktail with a base of Rhum Agricole and Apple Brandy sweetened with Pineapple Gomme Syrup, and the Marmalade Sour, a pisco sour with local honey and orange marmalade. The combination of traditional ingredients with modern techniques drives our cocktail program.”
Chicago’s Nacional 27 also changes its list each quarter to incorporate seasonal flavors and ingredients, says beverage director Elyse Fuller. Recently appearing on the menu: the Rum-Cha-Cha made with Rumchata, vodka, Kahlua and Frangelico, and a blood orange and hibiscus-infused tequila margarita using Casamigos blanco tequila.
At SumoMaya Mexican Asian Kitchen in Scottsdale, Ariz., beverage director Bill DeGroot says it’s important to showcase products that guests expect to see on the menu, while introducing them to fun, new products. “For example, we are currently running the Yamazaki Sidecar to help introduce Japanese whisky to our guests,” he says. “Our Oaxaca Old Fashioned helps introduce guests to reposado tequila.”
Rachael Hagerman, bar manager at Verde Mexican Kitchen & Cantina in Pittsburgh, Pa., uses a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in cocktails. “It gives us the opportunity to take advantage of seasonal ingredients as we develop recipes, as well as source from local purveyors,” she says. “And we’ll use these ingredients to play with classic flavor combinations like pairing tequila with citrus for palomas and margaritas, or doing something a little different, like pairing mezcal with strawberries and carrot juice for our cocktail the Rabbit Season.”
Another Verde favorite: The Tequila Old Fashioned, made with Corralejo reposado tequila, agave nectar, and Angostura bitters, which has been on the menu from the beginning.
Frozen cocktails also remain favorites, especially as warm weather approaches. SumoMaya’s menu features an extensive list of frozen cocktails, including two frozen margaritas daily: the Sumo-Rita (Maestro Dobel silver tequila, blood orange liqueur, fresh blood orange puree and limonada), along with a frozen specialty Margarita of the Day.
“We also feature the insanely popular Green ‘Magic’ Mojito consisting of coconut rum, house made coconut puree, house made green tea horchata and fresh mint. It’s blended and frozen then topped with Nigori foam that’s made with coconut milk and Nigori sake. The Nigori foam is charged in a whipper and tops the cocktail,” says DeGroot.
SAGE ADVICE: INTRODUCE AROMATICS
Today’s cocktails are incorporating aromatics more than ever. Usual suspects like mint and basil are on the rise, while some straight out of a ’60s song title are also climbing.
Chicago-based research firm Technomic, Inc. reports big increases from 4Q 2014 over 4Q 2013 in adult beverages using sage (54 percent), rosemary (29 percent) and thyme (175 percent).
DeGroot uses a wide variety of aromatics in SumoMaya’s cocktails. “Thai basil and tamarind are current favorites,” he says. “Our Chinese Five-Spice cocktail is also really unique. We use Chinese Five Spice powder in our updated version of the Dark ‘n Stormy cocktail: we infuse Gosling’s rum with five-spice powder to offer an interest- ing perspective on a simple classic.”
Riley says South American spirits such as tequila, rum, pisco, and cachaca are a perfect pairing with a wide variety of herbs and aromatics, “and we love to play with them. From a purple-tinted dried hibiscus and salt rim on our signature cocktail, The Other Woman, to a beautiful and fragrant sprig of mint atop a mojito, these aromatics serve both as flavorant and garnish.”
Desnuda’s Peruvian flair lends itself to cocktails that use a wide variety of chiles and other peppers, adds Riley. “What many American chefs and bartenders do not take seriously enough is the huge range of delicious flavors that chiles can bring without even considering the spiciness. We buy some unique dried chiles from Nobska Farms in Cape Cod to use in both syrups and infusions.”
Smoky and savory moritas and habeneros flavor a syrup used in The Other Woman, while hyper-spicy yet pleasantly fruity dried Devil’s Tongue and Moruga Scorpion chiles flavor a tincture used sparingly in The Moongazer.
Jalapeño is the chile of choice in Verde’s Jalapiña, a drink popular year-round, whether or not it is listed on the official cocktail menu. It is made with Corralejo reposado tequila, Licor 43, muddled jalapeño, pineapple, and fresh-squeezed lime, and garnished with a pinch of cayenne pepper. “Our guests ‘in the know’ frequently ask for it by name, or as ‘that spicy pineapple margarita,’ and we’re always happy to whip it up,” Hagerman says.
Fuller is also a big fan of incorporating peppers to add heat in Nacional 27’s cocktails. “Currently, we have a Sweet and Heat margarita, which uses a pineapple- and habanero-infused tequila,” she says.
MESMERIZED BY MEZCAL
Mezcal may have gotten a bad rap in the past. But consumers have taken notice of its complex, smoky flavor, spurring a flurry of activity on drink menus nationwide.
The number of restaurant operators incorporating mezcal into their adult beverage menus increased 46 percent from Q4 2013 to Q4 2014, with menu instances of the distilled beverage also increasing by a third over that same time period, according to a recent Data Pulse report from Technomic.
Mixologists have discovered that mezcal’s smoky flavor makes it an intriguing alternative to bourbon and whiskey.
“One of our more popular cocktails features mezcal in a play on the Moscow Mule,” explains DeGroot. “Our Mezcal Mule incorporates Montelobos Mezcal with passionfruit puree, muddled cucumber, fresh lime and ginger beer. It’s a great, refreshing ‘gateway’ cocktail that introduces mezcal without being super assertive.”
The “fruitiness” of the passion fruit and the cooling qualities of cucumber temper the “punch” of the mezcal, DeGroot explains. “We also feature more than 30 mezcals on our liquor list, presenting mezcal simply with a garnish of sliced orange dusted with Tajín [Mexican seasoning].”
Riley says mezcal is, without a doubt, the fastest growing spirit in terms of buzz and popularity with Desnuda’s customers. “Whiskey is by far the most popular, but for mezcal to come so far when even a couple of years ago it was totally unknown is unprecedented. We sell mezcal in cocktails, and serve artisanal single-village mezcals neat and on the rocks to new-found fans. Its popularity is an amazing testament to the widening tastes of the customers and proof that a bold, intense flavor is not something that the public is averse to. In fact, I feel the opposite—that its popularity owes much to the unique flavor and pungency that the agaves bring.”
Fuller, however, cautions that bars and restaurants should treat mezcal with care. “Some people think that the more booze you pour means you are getting a better cocktail... not with mezcal. Mezcal needs to be measured and mixed with the proper balance of sweetness, acidity, and if you’re like me, heat!”
A NOD TO MEXICAN SODAS AND AGUAS FRESCAS
Riley says Desnuda plans on some big new additions to its food and drink menu this spring, including a series of highballs using South American sodas. “Mexican Coca-Cola with real sugar is a huge favorite of mine, and we will be bringing in others such as Jarritos from Mexico, and Inca Kola from Peru.”
Fuller says Nacional 27 always has non-alcoholic options available. “We love us some aguas frescas. We are always running at least four,” she explains. “Right now we are featuring watermelon, mango pineapple, and of course we have the traditional jamaica and horchata. We not only have the kitchen batch these up for lunch service and non-alcoholic drinks, but they are also key ingredients in several of our cocktails. We also use our aguas frescas to make paletas.”
Mixologists say that what- ever you do, creativity is key. Customers are open to new experiences and flavors—they just need suggestions.
“The biggest trend I have seen is a growth in curiosity and adventurousness,” Riley explains. “Customers eagerly ask about things they don’t know, and it gives me the opportunity to talk with them a little and often makes them more excited to try something new. Our food menu is largely ceviche and other raw fish dishes, and so naturally the drinks that are most popular are light, acidic, and slightly sweet, and we sell many classics like margaritas. However, often now we have many people ordering newer classics such as caipirinhas and pisco sours. And while they may not know much about cachaca or pisco, the drinks speak for themselves and they order three more.”
Click here to see recipes for SumoMaya’s Oaxaca Old-Fashioned and Yamazaki Side Car, Desnuda’s Conquistador, Verde’s The Jalapiña and Gran Gala’s Gran Berry Smash.
Jay Lyon is a Chicago-based writer and frequent contributor to el Restaurante. His work has appeared in a number of trade publications, as well as in pieces produced by a certain Major League Baseball club (yes, he’s a Cubs fan!). Jay attributes his appreciation for and curiosity about food to the familiar smells of his Italian grandmother’s kitchen.