Cocktail Profits, el Restaurante Digital Supplement, Spring 2023

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By the time you’re reading this, another Cinco de Mayo will be in the books. And while that day has become synonymous (for better or worse) with cocktail-fueled celebrations — and likely generates outsized sales for most Mexican restaurants — it isn’t the only day cocktails are, or should be, top of mind for restaurant owners, managers and mixologists.

It’s no secret that the bar is where the profits lie: Information from Toast and BevSpot put the average bar profit margin at between 78 and 80 percent, far higher than the average for food. That means paying attention to the cocktails you serve and promotions you offer is key to your bottom line.

We hope this, the second issue of our new quarterly digital publication el Restaurante+, provides information to help you boost bar sales by crafting creative new cocktails, creating exciting new promotions, and running your bar in the most profitable manner possible.

In This Issue

Ed Avis PUBLISHER

Kathleen Furore EDITOR

Ala Ennes ART DIRECTOR MAIN OFFICE phone: 708.267.0023

PRESS RELEASES TO: kfurore@restmex.com

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 13347 Chicago, IL 60613

SHIPPING ADDRESS 1317 W. Belden Ave. Chicago, IL 60614

AD SALES/ENGLISH Ed Avis 708.218.7755 e davis@elrestaurante.com

Suzanne Bernhardt 678.880.9282 suzanne@elrestaurante.com

AD SALES/ESPAÑOL

Alfredo Espinola 52-55-7862-4491 alfredo@elrestaurante.com

PUBLISHED BY Maiden Name Press, LLC Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

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IN THE news

After-Hour Appeal

Is there money to be made — and new customers to attract — in the post-dinner time frame? That’s a question some Mexican restaurants appear to be exploring. In late April, Fonda’s location in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood announced, on Instagram, the launch of Fonda After Hours featuring “special cocktails and bites” on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. And in Columbus, Ohio, El Segundo Mexican Kitchen offers a Late Night Happy Hour from 9 p.m. until close, with half off chips, dips, nachos, burgers and beers, and $8 Margaritas and other cocktails.

It’s a trend that can reap business-building results, according to Brian Masilionis, senior director of customer development national accounts on premise at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, who once worked for a chain restaurant that did what he described as “a big late night, like a reverse Happy Hour.”

“One of the key benefits that I would tell operators is, ‘You know what’s changed with your business? Your late night’s doing pretty good, your dinner’s doing great because you’re having people coming in early for dinner and staying later because you’re not putting up the chairs at 9 o’clock or 10 o’clock,” Masilionis said during el Restaurante’s “Maximizing Happy Hour” webinar on May 4. Late night specials also draw customers who might have gone to a movie or other event. “[They’ll say] ‘I’m still going to go in there because people are still hanging out and they go have dinner at 10 o’clock…From a dollar standpoint, yes, people are coming in and having late dinners and having a cool appetizer and a cool cocktail.”

trend in the July/August issue of el Restaurante

Mezcalita Workshop

The Mezcalita Workshop at Mar Del Cabo in Los Cabos, Mexico, taught by the resort’s expert mezcal mixologist using different artisanal spirits from Oaxaca, gives guests a chance to learn about the cocktail, taste various types of mezcals and mezcalitas offered at the resort’s Encanto restaurant, discover ingredients that pair well with their favorite mezcals, and even create their own Mezcalitas.

You’ll find Encanto’s recipe for the Sea Basil Mezcalita on page 14 of this issue.

Happy Hour Webinar — Now Available Online

If you missed the chance to participate in el Restaurante’s May 4 webinar “Maximizing Happy Hour” there’s still time to learn how to create a successful Happy Hour in your restaurant. Just head to our website to listen to the 1-hour webinar, moderated by Publisher Ed Avis and featuring panelists Israel Sanchez from Cesar’s Killer Margaritas in Chicago and Brian Masilionis from Southern Glazers.

Watch for an in-depth story about this

cocktails: HOW TO PROFIT FROM THE POUR

EDITOR’S NOTE: Publisher Ed Avis used two books when researching this story: Trendy Bar & Nightclub Business Startup by Michael Sanders, and The Bar Shift by Dave Nitzel and Dave Domzalski.

let’s start there. The key when choosing the cocktails is to make sure they fit into your overall strategy. Do they enhance the food you serve and the vibe of your restaurant? Can your bartenders make them quickly, consistently, and with minimal waste? Do you have the ingredients on-hand, or will you need to special order them? Consider each of those factors as you create your cocktail menu.

BY ED AVIS ➤

Cocktails are fun! Customers love them, bartenders enjoy creating them, and restaurant owners like how they make the cash register ring. But success with a cocktail program is not automatic — a carefully executed strategy helps a cocktail program run smoothly and profitably.

“Having cocktails available for the customers is just incredibly important,” says Vidal Banuelos, owner of El Noa Noa, a Mexican restaurant in Denver’s Sante Fe Arts District. “You need to create an environment that the customer feels welcome in and likes, and obviously the cocktails are part of that. They are an incentive for them to come in and enjoy the experience.”

Start With the Menu

There’s much more to a successful cocktail strategy than choosing a few fun drinks, of course, but that’s essential, so

The majority of customers ordering cocktails in a Mexican restaurant start with a Margarita. But there are many ways to make that drink, and some are more successful than others.

For example, many of his customers at Cesar’s Killer Margaritas in Chicago welcome the opportunity to try higherlevel tequilas and mezcals in their cocktails these days, according to owner Israel Sanchez.

“We went to Mexico and purchased a barrel of tequila and brought it back and had dinners here, and I would have people come up to me and say, ‘Wow, this is more complex than I thought,’” Sanchez said during the el Restaurante webinar “Maximizing Happy Hour” on May 4. “There are many people who are tequila connoisseurs today. There’s a thirst for knowledge and trying different things.”

Tap into that thirst by offering at least some cocktails made with premium tequilas and mezcal. You can charge

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more, and certain customers will appreciate the opportunity to indulge.

Whatever spirits you choose, introducing creative new recipes and keeping some that are tried-and-true are key to building a successful bar program.

Banuelos, for example, recently added the Tinto de Verano to El Noa Noa’s menu. It’s a simple Spanish cocktail made with red wine and lemon soda that’s perfect for sipping on El Noa Noa’s expansive patio.

At Fonda San Miguel in Austin, a long-time favorite is the Silver Coin Margarita made with watermelon-infused tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime juice and served up. Chef and co-owner Miguel Ravago brought the recipe to Texas after serving as executive chef at one of the Zócalo restaurants in New York City. Another

recipe with ties to Fonda San Miguel is the pitcher-perfect Cazuela Guadalajara: Tropical Tequila Punch laden with watermelon, pineapple, oranges, lemon and star fruit. When The James Beard House in New York City invited the San Miguel team to present a lavish Mexican meal there in 1993, co-owner Tom Gilliland invited tequila aficionada Lucina Hutson, who served the punch from a five-gallon glass jar.

Lime in the Coconut, a mezcal cocktail made with coconut rum and coconut cream that Chef Enrique Cortes created for The Thirsty Palms in Palm Springs, California is another creative cocktail — as is Cortes’ Freseada, a summery libation made with fresh strawberries, mezcal and a splash of simple syrup.

Train Your Staff

It’s vital that every cocktail tastes the same each time it’s made — which means you must make sure your staff can efficiently and accurately create each drink on your menu. Don’t let your bartenders do it their “own way” — that’s a recipe for inconsistency and unhappy customers. Explain the importance of consistency!

A key place to start is to make sure your bartenders know how to properly pour spirits. If your bartenders are accustomed to pouring the spirits by the “count” method (a shot is a six count, for example), break them of that habit. Instead, teach them how to use the jigger, and properly. Don’t let

Your pour cost should be as low as possible to reap a higher margin per each beverage sold. The higher the pour cost, the lower the percentage of profit you make on drink sales.

The Silver Coin Margarita

The Lime in the Coconut Cocktail

Cazuela Guadalajara: Tropical Tequila Punch

Yes, we encourage them to create new cocktails = 37%

Sometimes, but it’s not really part of our program = 33%

our bartenders stick to our set cocktails = 30%

DO YOU HAVE “MOCKTAILS” (COCKTAILS WITHOUT ALCOHOL) ON YOUR

Source: el Restaurante reader survey, April 2023

them “trail pour,” or continue pouring from the bottle as they dump the jigger into the glass. Customers love that, but it means your bartender is pouring your profits into the glass and creating a drink that may not taste the same the next time. Once you determine the most efficient way to make the drink, have your staff practice.

Some cocktails, or at least elements of them, can be pre-batched, which saves time during service. Margaritas and sangria, for example, are often made ahead in large containers. Just don’t add the ice too soon or the drinks will get diluted.

Setting the Price

Charging the right amount for your cocktails is essential to your bottom line. There is a careful calculus that goes into pricing — charge too much and you miss out on sales; charge too little and you make less money.

A common way to price drinks is to start with the “pour cost.” This is basically the cost of the alcohol in the

Follow the Rules!

Make sure your staff can efficiently and accurately create each drink on your menu. Don’t let your bartenders do it their “own way” — that’s a recipe for inconsistency and unhappy customers. Explain the importance of consistency!

drink (other ingredients cost money as well, of course, but alcohol almost always is the main cost component). The pour cost is expressed as a percentage of the amount you sell your drinks for. For example, if a bottle of tequila costs $20, and you sell $100 worth of cocktails using the tequila in that bottle, your pour cost is $20/$100 = 20 percent. If you sell $150 worth of cocktails with the same amount of tequila, your calculation is $20/$150 = 13 percent. As you can see, the lower your pour cost, the higher your percent of profit.

Many restaurant and bar owners shoot for a pour cost of between 18 and 24 percent, long-time bar owner Michael Sanders says in his book Trendy Bar & Nightclub Business Startup.

Once you have a target pour cost, you can set your prices based on it by working the math described above in reverse order. Let’s say you target a pour cost of 20 percent and you source tequila that costs $25 for a fifth. There are about 16 shots in a fifth, so each

Choose the Right Glass

Reducing Theft and Waste in Your Bar

shot in this bottle costs you about $1.56. Since you want your pour cost to be 20 percent, the math is $1.56/.2 = $7.80. That means you need to charge at least $7.80 for a cocktail that contains one shot of that tequila. If you wanted your pour cost to be 18 percent, the math would be $1.56/.18 = $8.67. Your pour cost should be as low as possible to reap a higher margin per each beverage sold. The higher the pour cost, the lower the percentage of profit you make on drink sales.

The math is easy to adjust for different priced spirits. If you’re using an anejo tequila that costs you $35 per fifth, at a 20 percent pour cost that works out to $35/16 shots = $2.19 per shot/.2 = $10.94 minimum cost for a cocktail made with that tequila.

There are myriad variables that go into pricing. You may want to consider the cost of ingredients other than alcohol, especially if they are expensive. You may want to allow room for waste or occasional comp drinks. And you should pay attention to your competition to ensure your prices are not too far from the norm.

But the bottom line is that you should be deliberate with setting prices, just like you should be deliberate with all parts of your cocktail program.

The right cocktail menu, combined with staff training and smart pricing, is a recipe for cocktail success.

Nick Yager, owner of Gusanoz in Lebanon, New Hampshire, knows the value of great cocktail program. Spirits account for about 80 percent of his alcohol sales, he reports. Not only do cocktails keep his cash register humming, they keep customers happy: “Cocktails are essential to our success. If we did not offer them, fewer guests would come in at all.”

See recipes for Lime in the Coconut, Freseada, Silver Coin Margarita and Cazuela Guadalajara along with recipes from our archives, on pages 14 and 15. And for even more cocktail recipes, click here to find those el Restaurante has featured in our Recipe of the Week email and past issues of the magazine over the years.

Ed Avis is the publisher of el Restaurante. He likes his margaritas served up in a martini glass.

The Freseada

Rimming Tips

• Find out how a rimmer affects the cocktail’s taste. Sip it first without tasting the rimmer, then sip it with the rimmer.

• Experiment with the rimmer’s thickness, depth and placement. Some drinks need a thick stripe so customers taste a lot of it with each sip; others need just a thin rim across the top or a sprinkling down the side of the glass.

Trim the Rim

RIMMERS ADD FLAVOR AND INSTAGRAMMABLE APPEAL

Agaveria in Littleton, Colorado, for example, lets customers choose the rim they prefer when ordering a Chelada. Options include basic salt, Tajin, and sal de gusano — which all can be requested to grace half or all of the rim — as well as half salt-half Tajin, or nothing at all.

BY KATHLEEN FURORE ➤What’s inside the

glass is what customers are craving when it comes to the cocktails they order. But it’s what’s on the outside that can transform those cocktails from drinks into Instagrammable experiences and enhance the flavor of what’s inside in the process.

From basic white bar salt to edgier products like chipotle salt, chamoy, Tajin, black lava salt, sal de gusano, hibiscus sugar and more, rimmers have earned a starring role around the rim and down the sides of cocktail glasses at Mexican restaurants from coast to coast.

And customers are responding — some even specifying their rim of choice.

Palenque Cocina y

Customer choice also is front and center at Polo’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant in Ada, Oklahoma. “Our option of rimmers is based on the requests of our customers,” owner Yolande Vazquez reports. “Tajin has become a more popular request lately. We use salt as a default unless we are directed to use a different option.”

Techniques Behind the Bar

At Taquizo in Chicago’s burgeoning Wicker Park neighborhood, the Margaritas and other cocktails feature a variety of rimmers.

There’s the salt made daily in-house with four ingredients — “Tajin, sea salt, and two other secret ingredients,” Taquizo’s manager Sosa (who goes by one name) says.

That salt trims all of the restaurant’s classic Margaritas. And like the other rimmers — including the black lava salt that graces Taquizo’s special Flor En Fuego, a

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Taquizo’s Margaritas

colorful hibiscus cocktail made with tequila and mezcal — it shines down one side of each glass, not around the rimmers. Adding rimmers on the side enhances both the flavor and the look of the cocktails.

“Customers want a little taste [of the salt], but don’t want to be licking the whole rim,” Sosa explains. “And it plays on the aesthetic of the cocktail — you can see the pattern of the ingredients we use. It makes it more artistic.”

Another rimming “trick” Taquizo mixologists employ: using orange instead of lime or lemon to attach the salt to the glass. “Orange lends a sweetness,” says Sosa, who notes that lime and lemon have more of a “pucker” effect when paired with salt, which brings the salt to the forefront of the palette. “Orange is more welcoming. It creates a more balanced drink and you really taste the flavor of the cocktail.”

Fun with Rims

It’s not only about salt…as these two creative cocktails featuring sweet options show.

The Tun Tun Cocktail at Grand Velas Riviera Maya is rimmed with cookie crumbs (see recipe on page 15)

The Coconut Margarita from Burrata and Bubbles is rimmed with toasted coconut that can be attached to the glass with honey or agave nectar.

Rimmer Options

Salt: Kosher salt, sea salt, or black lava sea salt

Sugar: Granulated white sugar, cane sugar, brown turbinado sugar, and sugars mixed with fruit, herbs or spices

Fruit: Ground, freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries, mango, peaches, pineapple, shredded toasted coconut

Fruit Peels: Ground, dried lime, orange or grapefruit peels

Herbs & Spices: Basil, cilantro, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme

Chile powder: Use sparingly and/or mix with other ingredients to cut the heat. Cookies & crackers: Graham crackers, Mexican galletas, vanilla wafers, biscotti Chocolate: Shaved Mexican chocolate such as Abuelita, cocoa powder, or crushed M&Ms

Other: Any dry edible item—dried edible flowers such as hibiscus, avocado leaves, crumbled bacon, crushed hard candy, instant coffee crystals, tea leaves

Taquizo’s Flor En Fuego

Mayson’s Strawberry Puree. Made with real fruit and natural flavors, this puree is delicious mixed into Margaritas, daiquiris, smoothies, and aguas frescas. It can also be combined with Mayson’s Fruit Flavors such as guava or peach for an interesting, unique beverage offering. Visit maysons. com for more information about Mayson’s Finest Margarita & Daiquiri Mixes. Want to try our mixes? Request a sample at maysons.com/samples.

Aztecas Design. Beautiful glassware in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors is handblown by skilled craftsmen at Azteca’s factory in Guadalajara, then imported into the company’s distribution center in San Diego, California. Enhance your cocktail program with unique Margarita glasses, wine glasses, tropical drink glasses, tequila glasses, beer glasses and more! 877-729-8322; 619-442-5530; aztecasdesign.com

Pure Pour. This pour spout fits snugly into the neck of most standard-sized bottles, creating a tight seal that prevents leakage or drips. This makes it easier than ever to measure the exact amount of liquor needed for each drink, ensuring consistent cocktails. Its unique design has been shown to reduce liquor cost by up to 20% by providing an accurate pour every time. 561-212-6260; thepurepour.com

21 Missions Agave. When you want to create a great cocktail, 21 Missions Agave Azul Nectar is a good place to start. It’s the perfect ingredient for making The Ultimate “Cadillac” Margarita and other drinks on your bar menu. We’re specialists in Single Source Bulk Organic Premium Blue Agave Nectars that deliver a taste that guests will love. Your clients will thank you! 866-504-0555; 21missionsagave.com

Mario Chelada Rim Dip. These flavorful mixes are a blend of tangy, juicy, and sweet and make the perfect rimmers for Micheladas , beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks, too. They’re even great for dipping fruit. Available in Mango, Chamoy, and Watermelon. Michelada mix also available. mariochelada.com; sales@mariochelada.com

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Sea Basil Mezcalita

Recipe courtesy of Mar Del Cabo, Los Cabos, Mexico

Makes 1 cocktail

1½ oz. tequila or mezcal

1 oz. green chartreuse

½ oz. lime juice

1 oz. orange juice

8 basil leaves

½ oz. basil syrup (recipe below)

Poppy seeds

Put the basil leaves, lime juice, and basil syrup in a shaker, and macerate it slightly to extract the essence of the leaves. Add the tequila or mezcal, orange juice, and green chartreuse in the shaker with a little ice.

Cover the shaker and shake the mixture very well for 30 seconds. Frost a glass with poppy seeds. Pour the cocktail through a strainer into the glass and add a little bit more ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon or dehydrated orange.

The Basil Syrup:

1 c. water

1 c. basil leaves

1 c. sugar

Combine ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let syrup steep for 30 minutes. Drain syrup through a mesh strainer into a sterilized glass jar; discard basil leaves. Let cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Lime in the Coconut

Recipe and photo by Chef Enrique Cortes; served at The Thirsty Palms in Palm Springs

Makes 1 cocktail

1½ oz. inaequidens* mezcal (Hacienda Oponguio)

1 oz. coconut rum

½ lime, juiced

1½ oz. coconut cream

Lime wedge, for garnish

Coconut flakes, for garnish

Fill a tall, 12-ounce glass or shaker with ice; add mezcal and rum, lime juice and

the coconut cream. Shake well and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and toasted coconut flakes.

*Inaequidens is the scientific name for an agave that grows mostly in the state of Michoacan, Mexico.

Freseada

Makes 1 cocktail

Recipe and photo by Chef Enrique Cortes; served at The Thirsty Palms in Palm Springs

3 medium-sized fresh strawberries

1½ oz. mezcal cupreata (Filo de Trinchera)

Splash of simple syrup

6 lime wedges

Muddle fresh limes and strawberries in a 12-ounce glass or shaker. Add mezcal and the simple syrup.

Shake well and serve on the rocks in a large red wine glass. Garnish with a caramelized fresh lime.

**Agave cupreata is found in the Mexican states of Michoacan and Guerrero at elevations of 1,200-1,800 meters.

Silver Coin Margarita

Recipe and photo from Fonda San Miguel: Forty Years of Food & Art

Makes 1 cocktail

The Cocktail:

1½ oz. watermelon-infused tequila (recipe below)

¾ oz. Cointreau

⅓ oz. fresh lime juice

Crushed ice

Wedge of watermelon (with rind), for garnish

The Watermelon-infused Tequila: ½ of a 12-lb. watermelon, cut into chunks (about 8 c.)

1 one-liter bottle Herradura Silver Tequila

Combine watermelon chucks and tequila in a 1½- to 2-gallon nonreactive container and use a whisk or potato masher to break up the fruit.

Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours. Push the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on the watermelon to extract all the juice. Dispose of the pulp and seeds.

To make the Margarita: Combine watermelon-infused tequila, Cointreau and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with a handful of crushed ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Serve straight up, garnished with a wedge of watermelon.

Cazuela Guadalajara: Tropical Tequila Punch

Recipe and photo from Fonda San Miguel: Forty Years of Food & Art

Makes 1 pitcher/6 to 7 quarts

½ of 12- to 16-lb. watermelon, cut into bite-size chunks or triangles (about 8 c.)

1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-size chunks

1 one-liter bottle of silver tequila

2 c. gold tequila

4 oranges, cut into wedges

2 lemons, sliced

3 starfruit, cut into star-shaped slices

½ c. lime juice

4 c. orange juice

1 46-oz. can unsweetened pineapple juice

6 limes, quartered

3 small ruby grapefruit, cut into wedges

Cracked ice

3 12-oz. cans Squirt or other citrus-flavored soda

Combine watermelon and pineapple chunks in a 2-gallon, wide-mouth glass jar. Add the tequilas, oranges, lemons, star fruit, and juices. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, stiffing occasionally. A few hours before serving, add limes and grapefruit. Serve in wide-mouth glasses or bowls filled with cracked ice, a generous splash of Squire, and a straw.

Note: The flavor of this punch improves with age. It will keep several days in the refrigerator, although the watermelon will lose its texture. Add more fruit, if desired.

Find more great cocktail recipes at elrestaurante.com/recipes/cocktails

recipes

Favorite Recipes from our Archives

Pineapple Cilantro Margarita

Recipe courtesy of Mas Amor Cantina, Hickory, North Carolina

Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz. blanco tequila

¾ oz. house made cilantro simple syrup

¾ oz. caramelized pineapple purée

½ oz. fresh juiced lime

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well mixed; strain over ice into a Tajin-rimmed glass. Garnish with fresh cut pineapple.

Tun Tun Cocktail

Recipe created by Mixologist David Hernandez at Grand Velas Riviera Maya (velasresorts.com)

Makes 1 cocktail

1½ oz. tequila blanco

1 oz. evaporated milk

1 oz. almond liqueur

¼ oz. agave nectar

¼ oz. pumpkin puree

1 dash angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients together and double strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with cookie crumbs. Top it off with whipped cream and nutmeg.

Hot Cocktails

Agave Hot Toddy

Recipe courtesy of Ivan Vasquez, Madre Oaxacan Restaurant & Mezcaleria, Torrance, California

1 oz. mezcal

1 tea bag of your choice (the house favorite at Madre is chamomile peach)

1 bar spoon honey

Hot water

2 lemon wheels

1 cinnamon stick

Add the first three ingredients to an Irish coffee mug. Top with hot water, stir to combine, and let steep for five minutes. Remove the tea bag and garnish with lemon wheels and a cinnamon stick.

Champurrado de Tito’s

Recipe courtesy of Tito’s Handmade Vodka

2 oz. Tito’s Handmade Vodka

3 c. water

2 c. milk

3 oz. piloncillo, chopped

¼ c. masa flour

½ disk Mexican chocolate, chopped

2 cinnamon sticks

1 star anise

Boil water with cinnamon and the star anise. Remove from heat and let steep for 1 hour. Remove cinnamon and star anise. Slowly add masa flour, stirring to combine. Once dissolved, add milk, chocolate, and piloncillo. Heat over medium heat until almost boiling, then reduce to simmer until chocolate and piloncillo are dissolved. Pour mixture into mug with the Tito’s vodka.

Espresso 433

Recipe courtesy of Mike Nardelli, Licor 43

1⅓ oz. espresso

1 oz. Licor 43 Original

1 oz. vodka

Ice cubes

Pour a hot espresso in a cocktail shaker. Add Licor 43 Original, vodka and ice cubes. Shake well and double strain.

Non-Alcoholic Cocktails

Yangtze River

Recipe courtesy of Geronimo Lopez, Botika at Pearl, San Antonio, Texas

Makes 1 cocktail

1 oz. Asian pear puree

6 oz. unsweetened rice milk

½ oz. lime juice

1 egg white

2 oz. Topo Chico sparkling water

1 slice of Asian pear

1 star anise

Combine puree, rice milk, lime juice and egg white in a Boston shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into a tall or rocks glass and top with Topo Chico. Garnish with Asian pear slice and star anise.

Strawberry Dreamin’

Recipe courtesy of Juan Cuevas, Luminarias, Monterey Park, California

Makes 1 cocktail

1½ oz. fresh squeezed lemonade

1 oz. strawberry puree

½ oz. simple syrup

2 oz. water

3 dashes of mint bitters

Over 50 years serving restaurants in the Northeast

Garnish mint sprig

Shake the first four ingredients and strain over crushed ice in a tall glass. Top with three dashes of mint bitters. Garnish with mint sprig.

The Squeezebox Miche’NADA

Recipe courtesy of Aaron Peña, The Squeezebox, San Antonio

Makes 1 cocktail

2½ oz. Michelada Cocktail Mix

12 oz. can Topo Chico Sparkling Water

Twang Michelada Beer Salt

1 lime wedge

Rim glass with Twang Michelada Beer Salt. Fill glass with ice and garnish with lime. Pour in 2.5 oz. of Michelada Cocktail Mix to taste. Add 12 oz. of Topo Chico.