21st Century Margarita
This recipe illustrates a few aspects of twenty-first-century cocktail culture that have had an effect on this month’s iconic cocktail, namely the rise of Mezcal as a base, the spicy Margarita craze, and the introduction of other fruit as supporting characters in Margarita variations. The use of a shrub also reflects popular methodologies of today’s cocktail culture.
INGREDIENTS
1¾ oz. Mezcal
¾ oz. pineapple-jalapeño shrub
½ oz. lime juice
¼ oz. agave nectar or rich simple syrup
Garnish: tajín rim, jalapeños and pineapple wedge (from shrub prep)
ABV LEVEL
Apply a half-rim of tajín to a rocks glass by moistening it with a lime and pressing the moistened portion into the tajín, trying not to get it on the inside of the glass. Combine all in a shaker. Fill two-thirds full with ice, seal, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into prepared rocks glass over a big cube and garnish with a jalapeños and a pineapple wedge skewered on a cocktail pick.