With the Fishes

(Recipe Below)

.75 oz (22.5mL) Mezcal

.75 oz (22.5mL) Amaro Montenegro

Fat .25 oz (7.5mL) Lemon Juice

.5 oz (15mL) Ginger Syrup

Dropper Saline

1 oz (30mL) Aquafaba

1 oz (30mL) Red Wine

In a shaker tin, combine .75 oz Mezcal, .75 oz amaro Montenegro, .25 oz Lemon Juice, .5 oz Ginger Syrup, 1 oz Aquafaba, and a dropper of saline. Add Ice > a spring > and more ice > cover and shake for 30 seconds. Double strain into a chilled coupe and float 1 oz of a rich Red Wine on top.

Ginger Syrup

.25 lb (113.4 g) Fresh Ginger

2 oz (60mL) Water

.5 cup (100 g) Cane Sugar

Blender Method

In a blender jar, combine Ginger and Water. Pulse until juice can be extracted. Strain out the solids through cheese cloth.

Juicer Method

Juice ginger, add 2 oz of water to the juice.

Combine in a small saucepan ginger juice and sugar.

Heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. When small bubbles start to form, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into a syrup bottle. Store in a cool, dark place.

Aquafaba for Cocktails

An Egg White Substitute for cocktails

1- 15 oz can Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas 1

barspoon Cream of Tartar

Strain out the chickpeas using a fine mesh strainer. Pour chickpea brine in a clean and dry condiment bottle, add 1 tsp cream of tartar and stir gently to combine. Seal and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. * A note on using aquafaba for cocktails: Gently swirl prepared aquafaba before use to redistribute the settled cream of tartar; acid such as citrus juice will be necessary for frothing emulsion.

Mi Mama Me Dijo Mezcal

90 proof/45% ABV
Grupo Gastronomico Gracias A Dios, S.De R.L.
Double distilled, made from Maguey Espadin and Joven agaves fired in wood ovens, fermented and distilled twice. Results are a smoky, earthy mezcal without a bite and a finish of burnt almonds. An affordable bottle that makes a great mixing mezcal.
Amaro Montenegro

46 proof/23% ABV
Montenegro S.R.L.
Characterized as a bitter liqueur, it is a blend of sweet and bitter oranges, 40 different herbs, an no added sweeteners. The result is a mildly bittersweet liqueur with lightly vegetal and warming spice notes.
Lemon Juice

5-6% acidity
Less acidic than lime juice, lemon juice will add enough acidity to brighten flavors without overpowering when balanced with sweetness. Usually our preference when needing acid to emulsify with egg white, aquafaba or cream.
Ginger Syrup

Ginger add spiciness with a floral undertone. The sweetness and the spiciness helps bring flavor to the front of the tongue and carry to the middle-upper palate. A fresh ginger syrup reaps a lot of reward in a cocktail.
Aquafaba

An Egg White Substitute for cocktails. Aquafaba offers a silky texture that is slightly savory and can be aerated or shaken to create a cocktail foam.
Diamond Red Blend

29 proof/14.5% ABV
Coppola Wines
Coppola calls this the "sky's the limit" blend A blend of California grapes, a red blend is a great for cocktail mixing because the blending can be selected to produce a clean red wine with a balance of deep and berry flavored notes along with pepper and clove.
Salt/Saline

Salt is a great flavor booster. It can balance sweetness and bitterness, smoothing out a cocktail. It can also enhance citrus flavor and acidity without the need for more acid. It is most commonly used in rimming cocktail glasses, but a sprinkle in the cocktail shaker can really impact a cocktail. Make it into a saline solution to enhance stirred cocktails.