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By Elyse Glickman
A decade ago, pisco and mezcal were discoveries to behold. Now, the search is on for the next Latin American liquor find.
One of the biggest thrills for modern cocktail and spirits enthusiasts is happening upon a libation, be it served straight or combined with compatible ingredients. Recent years have been particularly exciting for spirits from Mexico and Latin America. Bartenders and buyers, in turn, have served as guides leading customers to discover the treasures of mezcal, pisco, and caçhaca as well as transforming them from “working men’s” drinks to prestige products and bar must-haves. For those excited about the prospect of drawing in curious customers with the “next big thing,” here’s our trail map through Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Southern Hemisphere in the search for gold. Go the bottom of this story to see a table listing some of the latest interesting Latin liquor discoveries.
When What’s Old Is What’s New
Colombian-born Feisser Stone, founder and creative director of bar consulting company Barlingual, is known in the industry for his innovative bar programs for Los Angeles restaurants Madre, Mezcaleria, El Nopal, and his Peruvian pop-up, Once. Stone believes sotol will be the next big thing because of the widespread acceptance of mezcal and the fact that sotol’s flavor profile falls nicely between tequila and mezcal. Even though aguardiente is his native country’s national spirit, Stone advises introducing a product into the beverage program that you are truly confident about rather than adding it simply for its novelty.
“The first thing is get bartenders excited about it,” Stone says. “Be mindful that everybody’s palates and experiences are going to be different. In my case, I come from a point of view shaped by my being from Colombia and living in New York City, but I may also be working with bartenders from Spain, or those who have been shaped by Hispanic culture in Los Angeles.”
However, sotol’s vegetal and green herbaceous notes will take some time to catch on, and every individual bartender will have his or her own ideas on how to work it into a recipe, he adds.
“We’ve introduced it to customers by using it in daiquiri recipes, or by working it into a margarita recipe by splitting the base between an ounce of tequila and an ounce of sotol. This has gotten a positive reaction from customers who do a double take and ask about what they‘ve just tasted,” Stone reports.
Another way to introduce customers to a new spirit is in a flight format. Stone will line up a tequila, a sotol and a mezcal so customers can compare and contrast the different flavor profiles. Oscar Leon Bernal, bartender at Brooklyn’s La Loncheria, is also a sotol fan. He introduces the category to his customers by offering samples of various expressions from different growing regions. He also created “The Brooklyn,” a signature cocktail made with Sotol Fabriquero from Durango, which is aged in glass.
“I like offering customers samples from different places like Chihuahua and Durango as all of our palates are different and what people pick up on sometimes surprises me,” says Bernal. “From there, I will discuss the significance of its role in local culture, in addition to how it is made in its place of origin.”
While those tastemakers are not yet as enthusiastic about aguardiente, Mauricio Gutierrez, representative for the Mil Demonios brand, believes the recent popularity of Colombia as a tourist destination will help build popular interest.
“(I believe) the flavor profile [of aguardiente] will play a key factor, as this expression is citric and mellow, and will work well in recipes using tropical fruits familiar in the States that are also native to Colombia,” he says. “We are also currently working on an official food pairing guide with a couple of local chefs here in Colombia to round out the experience.”
Amanda Swanson, tequila and mezcal sommelier at Añejo in Tribeca is sweet on Paranubes Rum from Oaxaca, which is made from four different strains of sugarcane. Though some bartenders find it a bit strong, she believes it is still approachable because of the dominance of the fruit flavors.
“I think it could easily sub into classic cocktails made with mezcal, raicilla, cachaca, or even pisco,” says Swanson. “This would make a killer sour, as long as it was a proper egg white sour. Here at Añejo Tribeca, I would definitely recommend it with our ceviches. The Tuna Ceviche works with the tropical flavors of the rum would pair well with the smoky notes of the chipotle and bright notes of the orange. Pairing it with our Ceviche Mixto is simply obvious with the pineapple, lime, and grapefruit that accompany the bass, shrimp, and scallops.”
Elyse Glickman is a regular contributor to el Restaurante magazine.
Table of Latin Liquors
Table of Latin Liquors