La Capirucha

This smoky cocktail comes to us from Jesse Torres from San Antonio’s Mezcaleria Mixtli. Juicy prickly pears lend an earthy sweetness and electric pink color.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. joven mezcal

• ¾ oz. prickly pear syrup

• ¾ oz. fresh lime juice

• Tools: shaker, strainer

• Glass: Old Fashioned

• Garnish: Sal de Gusano salt rim (or do a basic salted rim)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a tin and shake well with ice. Strain into a salt-rimmed glass filled with fresh ice.

Prickly Pear Syrup

• 6 ripe, red prickly pears

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 6 allspice berries

Instruction:

Remove the skin with a knife and de-seed the prickly pears. Dice and place them in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Fine strain through a chinois or cheesecloth. Bottle and refrigerate. The syrup will last approximately 2 weeks.

Attribution:

Recipe: Jesse Torres, Mezcaleria Mixtli, San Antonio

Origin: Imbebi Magazine

Photo: Amy Gawlik