A couple of weeks ago, my friend and cocktail enthusiast Carter came over to chat and try our hands at a little fall mixology. When the weather gets cool, I’m partial to whiskey drinks — my go-to drink is a rye Manhattan, but the Highland’s Fall and Boulevardier are also fall and winter favorites of mine. I wanted to get away from my happy whisky habit, though, and try something new. Carter knows a thing or two about tequila, so he suggested we start there and mix in some autumnal elements.
After about three hours of mixing, tasting and munching on chips (it was a tough job, but somebody had to do it), this is what we came up with. Earthy anejo tequila is nicely balanced with the mellow sweetness of pear nectar and accented with the spicy zing of Allspice Dram and the brightness of fresh lemon juice.
Spiced pear is, of course, a common seasonal flavor, but it’s the edge and complexity of the aged tequila that save this from being an insipid holiday punch, so make sure to use a good 100% agave reposado (aged in oak for at least two months) or anejo (aged in oak for at least a year). Allspice Dram (known in old cocktail recipes as “pimento dram”) evokes the West Indies with notes of clove, cinnamon, allspice and aged rum, and is a great addition to your bar –a few dashes add depth and dimension to almost any drink containing fruit juice, particularly citrus. It can be hard to find in liquor stores, but it’s readily available from online sources.
A test drive of this drink with guests last week leads me to believe that you may want to make this by the pitcher.
Recipe
(for one drink)
2 oz good anejo or reposado tequila, such as Don Julio
1 1/4 ounce pear nectar (available in most supermarkets)
1/4 ounce St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
freshly grated nutmeg
Mix all ingredients and serve in a rocks glass full of ice.
Garnish with a generous pinch of freshly ground nutmeg.
Salud!
Note: Some of the beverages used in this post were provided by an affiliate of Diageo plc.
