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Flor de Puebla cocktail.

A colorful assortment of mezcals

Cholula, home to colorful colonial style architecture, some of the best preserved examples of Catholic baroque style chirches, and the site of the Great Pyramid of Cholula

Puebla' Old City District

Flor de Puebla: A Contemporary Expression of The Spirit of Mexico

Flor de Puebla Though I run a rum focused bar program, agave is a popular category with my guests; I put a cocktail uttilizing tequila or mezcal on cocktail menu at Glady's Caribbean each season. I recently visited Puebla, which inspired my newest mezcal based cocktail, Flor de Puebla. Though the visit was focused on the region’s gastronomy - Poblano moles are as diverse as they are iconic, and are recognized as the best in the world, there were other defining characteristics of the region - well preserved colonial style architecture, a thriving and active community of traditional artisans, and cultural sites including the Great Pyramid of Cholula - that captivated my senses and inspired me as well.

My recipe is based on the earliest renditions of thd Martini, which used equal parts vermouth and spirits: 19th century palettes skewd sweeter, as it does in Mexico. It also takes inspiration from the Negroni, which traditionally is equal parts of spirit, vermouth and bitter, which in my case is made of two parts: Tepache, a Mexican pineapple liquer, and Baska Snaps - a Scandinavian digestif - both are humble drinks typically made and enjoyed at home. These elements initially appear to be strange bedfellows, but eclecticism is another element of Poblano food and culture that made an impression on me and I wanted to reference that - and the magic of it - here.

I enjoy Flor de Peubla because it takes elements that, though they have plenty to offer on their own, come together in a way that is significantly greater than the sum of it’s parts. The resulting drink has a bouquet of refreshing herbal notes on the nose, a rich, silky mouthfeel, marked by honeysuckle and tropical fruit notes, and long, moderately smoky finish.

FLOR DE PUEBLA 1 oz Mezcal Espadin ¾ oz spanish white vermouth (chambery style, like Dolin, works well as an alternative) ½ oz Bittermen’s Tepache Liqueur ¼ oz Bitternen’s Baska Snaps

Combine all ingredients in a chilled rocks glass, with a large ice cube or sphere - trays for making the cubes are available at culinary stores or cocktailkingdom.com

Stir to chill, approxomately 15 - 20 seconds. Garnish with a flamed orange peel and expressed lemon twist, then serve.

Maiden Voyage: Embark on a Journey into New Flavors

Maiden Voyage If there is anything that is proven time and time again is that simple is more often than not the best way to go. Seeking a way to bring an unusual dimension to a tiki drink, I took the Mai Tai, with it's emphasis on showcasing the funk of pot distilled rums, and the Fogcutter, a gin based drink that combines a number of unlikely ingredients. I begin with a coconut washed London Dry, pineapple and lime juice and orange curaçao. The initial results were pleasant but vaguely underwhelming. A little tinkering revealed that there was a simpler way to get the fullness and roundness of flavor that I wanted in the base - in this case, by swapping in a barrel aged old tom gin. Old Tom s a sweeter style of gin that was widely consumed during the Victorian Era, fading into obscurity when London Dry rose to prominence at the turn of the 20th century. It is best known as the base for the Tom Collins and the Martinez, considered by cocktail historians to be the precurser to the Martini: London Dry takes the place of OldTom and red vermouth is swapped for dry; one could argue that the latter is a dry variation on the latter. It has recently become available in a number of styles as well as inspired other distillers to age their gins; My favorites include Ransom, Greenhook Ginsmiths and Hayman's. In the Mai Tai and Fogcutter, two or more spirits are mixed with citrus and cordials. I'd successfully mixed gin and cognac in past, and this time around I opted for Calvados, which is based on apples and known for it's crisp, delicate fruit notes. Next came pineapple and lime, which would make up the sweet and sour. Orange curaçao ties it all together, adding another element of sweet balanced out by bitter. Maiden Voyage 1 1/2 oz barrel aged Old Tom gin 3/4 oz Calvados 1 oz pineapple juice 3/4 oz line juice 1/2 oz orange curaçao Nutmeg Combine in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a brandy snifter or tiki mug. Garnish with an orange flag, pineapple leaves and nutmeg, then serve.

Shaking up a Silver Fox with the Panarama Mezcal crew at Glady's Carribbean

Mixing it up on BK Live: Check out my Havana Special and El Presidente here:

Holiday Sip: Bahia Punch Royale

The holidays are officially here and there’s no better time than now than to eat, drink, and be merry. This Fall, I was approached by Cuca Fresca achaca to develop seasonal cocktails that capture the spirit of my restaurant’s neighborhood, which is home to a diverse patchwork of West Indian Island cultures and communities. At the time I was planning to make a holiday special showcasing sorel, a popular homebrew found in many west indian households, and is not unlike a hibiscus tea. It is served as booth a cooler in the summer and as a savory brew in the colder months. Its bright red color, bracing crispness and warming spices make it a perfect celebratory libation.

Bahia is a region in Brazil that is known for is vibrant Afro Caribbean roots and affinity for Jamaican food, music, and culture. The Bahia Punch Royale utilizes two iconic fixtures in the drinks vocabulary of both places - sorrel and cachaca - to create a fun, lively, and festive tipple that is grown up enough to sip from a coupe and easy to batch into a generous punch bowl.

It’s a taste of the tropics done up in the spirit of cross cultural exchange that will bring warmth to any holiday gathering. I use silver cachaca, but you are welcome to used an aged version for a bolder, richer flavor.

Bahia Punch Royale 2 oz Cuca Fresca Blanco 1/2 oz sorrel syrup 1/2 oz orgeat 3/4 oz fresh lime juice 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Combine all in a shaker and shake to mix. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a lime wheel, and serve.

Punch Bowl (serves 10 - 12l

750 ml Cuca Fresca Blanca 170 ml sorrel syrup 170 ml orgeat (Fee Brothers or Kasatly) 375 ml fresh squeezed lime juice

Combine all and chill refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving. When ready to serve, add to a punch bowl with a large block of ice (this can be made by using a medium sized tupperware or other plastic food storage container as a mold). Garnish by floating lime wheels on the top, and serve in 4 oz portions.

Barbarossa: A Bold Take on A Old Classic

Classic cocktails have attained their status for a reason: they were good when they first appeared and continued to be good as time went on and other things came and went. How many things can remain relevant or fresh over the course of decades or even century? They are few and far between, so when we find them we respect them for their uniqueness and cherish their ability to deliver a satisfying drinking experience time and again.

As benchmarks, classics exhibit qualities that render a drink worth remembering . They bridge the gap between yesterday and right now, giving us insight into the moods, preferences, and conditions that shaped a time or place. Classics, with their ability to defy age and the passage of time, give us a point of departure from which to make our own forays into new territories with confidence, knowing that our efforts are based on a solid foundation.

Balance in a cocktail is the crucial factor that ties all of the parts together and allows them all to make a positive impact on the final product with no one element overpowering or canceling out the others. Nowhere is this easier to see than in the Negroni, a cocktail made of equal amounts of three ingredients: gin, campari, and red vermouth. It is loved the world over, and owing to it's simple 1:1:1 recipe, is one of the easiest to get right.

It has inspired many variations, most notably the Boulevardier, which swaps rye for gin, and can be made with lillet and other aromotized wines for a fresher, lighter expression.

Currently I manage the bar with a rum focused spirits program, and negronis have been among our most popular offerings. Each Fall, we create a new version and this time I around decided to craft a drink that would push the aromatic and fruity qualities of the spirit to the fore while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original. The resulting drink, which we dubbed the Barbarossa, in inspired by the pirate family of the same same who were infamous for hijacking sea faring vessels and the flavors of the fruits and spices they may have likely taken as a part of their booty along the way:

The proportions here are closer to that of Manhattan, but the liqueurs utilized to play off the rum are intense and need only be used sparingly to achieve the desired effect:

Barbarossa

2 oz Spiced Rum (house made is best, see a recipe here.)

1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao

1/4 oz blood orange liqueur (I like Pur Likkor).

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill and strain into a rocks glass over a ice. Garnish with a flamed orange peel, then serve.

DAIQUIRI

DAIQUIRI This one needs no introduction - or does it? Many of us know it as a frozen drink blended with fruit served in huge, neon colored goblets and decorated with all manner of straws, parasols, and tropical themed accoutrements. Much like a game of 'Telephone', the recipe has changed over the years from it's original template of three ingredients: rum, sugar, and lime, known collectively as the "Holy Trinity" to encompass a host of options that are anything but. The truth is, as with many drinks there is no one "correct" recipe - inevitably, not all ingrediens are available at all times in all plaves, so adjustments and substitutions are sometimes a simple matter of neccisity. Ultimately, no matter how someone chooses to prepare a drink, the only measure of "correctness" that matters here any drink regardless of the recipe comes down to one thing: balance. While it is delightful when an ingredient can be the star of the glass or even the main attraction, ultimately, all the elements must blend and play well together for a delicious end result. In the case of the classic Daiquiri, it only has three parts, so a adherence to this principle is more very important to keep in mind when mixing one: in a Daiquiri, there is nowhere for an off note to hide. Too boozey, sweet, or tart? Something is off and needs adjusting. When you can pick put all those elements and they combine to form a harmonious whole, then you are on the money. Habana bartender Constantino Ribalagua Vert was obsessed with the Daiquiri, and made dozens of variations over the course of his career at the famed Lake Floridita Bar, where he served many a Papa Doble to none other than Hemingway himself. Best known for his frozen and blended iterations, he made dozens of subtle adjustments around the type of ice and blenders utilized to create different textures in the drink, always referring back to this simple recipe for inspiration: 2 oz rum 3/4 oz lime juice 3/4 oz simple syrup Combine lime and syrup in a shaker and stir with a bar spoon to integrate. Add the rum, ice and shake vigorously to mix. Fine strain into a chilled coupe glass (I use a tea strainer paired with a Hawthorne, but a Julep strainer will do in a pinch), garnish with a lime wheel or wedge, and serve. I recommend drinking it as as quickly as possible - it goes down easy and begs to be followed by another.

PAINKILLER

The Painkiller is a deceptively easy - and dangerously delicious - tipple. At first glance it looks like a Piña Colada, but the addition of fresh orange and nutmeg make it a drink that is a bit more complicated flavor wise while remaining assessable and easy to drink. It's even easier to make as well: no tools beyond a set of shaker tins and a muddler is required. Opinions regarding ratios may vary, but many bartenders agree that Coco Lopez is the best option for the cocnut cream, owing to it's texture and consistency, Dole Pinapple is my preferred alternative to fresh pressed pineapple. Pusser's, the official rum of this drink, is the only one for the job: the distillers have trademarked the cocktail and any drink called a Painkiller must use their rum, which was one of the first to be supplied as a daily ration aboard British Naval ships in the late 18th century. 2 oz Pussers Rum 4 oz pineapple juice 2 oz coconut cream Orange wedge Whole nutmeg Muddle the orange wedge in a shaker tin, then add rum and coco pineapple mix. Shake without ice and dump onto a large rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with nutmeg and a pineapple wedge, then serve.

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