Another day in quarantine, another cocktail. But I couldn’t resist today. It’s Cinco de Mayo. I just had to sip some mezcal.
Cinco de Mayo isn’t Mexico’s Independence Day. It’s when Mexico won the Battle of Puebla against the French army.
Truthfully, I’m sometimes a little embarrassed at how this holiday is celebrated in the U.S. I hope to do so in a respectful way – celebrating authentic Mexican products and supporting Mexican-American owned businesses, like my favorite taquerias in San Francisco: Taqueria Los Mayos, La Taqueria, El Burrito Express, El Farolito, Pancho Villa, Taqueria Cancun, and many many more.
But for now, the mezcalita. I fell in love with mezcal when I visited Mexico City in 2018. It’s a smoky, intense, beautiful liquor native to Jalisco. It’s absolutely amazing on its own, but I also love it in cocktails.
For this drink, I used tamarind, which is used in Indian and Mexican cuisine, and dates, which pair beautifully with the mezcal. Like my mango whiskey sour, this is kind of like a chutney cocktail. But this time, I decide to make my own instead of using a readymade version with unnecessary flavors, which would only overpower the mezcal.
Ingredients – tamarind date chutney
- 1/4 cup dates, fresh or soaked overnight
- 1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
- 1 cup water
Ingredients – mezcalita
- 1.5 ounces tamarind date chutney
- 1.5 ounces mezcal
- 3/4 ounces lime juice
- 3/4 ounces Cointreau
- 1 cup ice, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Make the tamarind date chutney by blending dates, tamarind concentrate, and water in a high speed blender.
- Add 1.5 ounces (1 shot) tamarind date chutney, 1 shot mezcal, 1/2 a shot lime juice, 1/2 a shot of Cointreau, and 1 cup ice to a cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds or until shaker is frosty. Strain and pour over more ice.
Burrata & Bhaturas 