With Halloween falling on a Thursday and Dia De Los Muertos/Day of the Dead over the weekend, consumers have plenty of reasons to go out and celebrate. Here are seven cocktails designed for Dia De Los Muertos (Nov. 1 and 2) to honor the departed and raise the spirits.
Mexican Zombie
1 oz. Don Julio Blanco tequila
½ oz. Don Julio Reposado
½ oz. Mezcal
½ oz. Velvet falernum
½ oz. Passion Fruit
1 oz. Grapefruit
½ oz. Lime juice
4 Dashes Absinthe
Add the tequila, mezcal and velvet falernum to a shaker. Mix in the passion and grapefruit, lime juice, simple syrup and dashes of absinthe. Strain contents into the Mexican Zombie glass with crushed ice, lime wheel and cinnamon stick torched until smoky.
The mixologists at Zuma Las Vegas created this recipe.
Spirits Raised
(shown atop)
2 oz. Partida Reposado tequila
1 oz. Coco Lopez
1 oz. Pineapple juice
1 oz. Lime juice
Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into cocktail glass of choice, over ice.
The mixologists at Partida created this recipe.
Midnight in Mexico
1 ½ oz. Mezcal Vago Elote
¾ oz. Ancho Reyes
¾ oz. Fernet-Vallet
Stir ingredients well with ice in a mixing glass, strain over a large piece of ice in a rocks glass. Express oil from a wide grapefruit swath, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Houston Eaves, beverage director at Downstairs at the Esquire Tavern in San Antonio, TX, created this recipe.
Margarita Muerta
1 ½ oz. Camarena Silver tequila
½ oz. Blood orange liqueur
½ oz. Fresh lime juice
½ oz. Agave nectar
1 oz. Passion fruit nectar
2-3 slices of Jalapeno
Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake together to combine/chill. Strain into a festive Mexican skull mug and fill with crushed ice. Garnish with dehydrated lime, the interior contents of a passion fruit, and a burning cinnamon stick.
The mixologists at Camarena created this recipe.
Ofrenda Jalisco
1 Can of Estrella Jalisco beer
Splash of mezcal
2 Orange wedges (one for juice, one for garnish)
Smoked salt
Mexican hot sauce from Jalisco (i.e. Tapitio)
Dip beer can in hot sauce and sprinkle smoked salt along rim. Open can, float mezcal and squeeze in orange juice. Garnish with an orange wedge with a dab of hot sauce and smoked salt.
The mixologists at Estrella created this recipe.
Ritual
2 oz. Mezcal El Silencio
1 oz. Ginger root juice
1 oz. Carrot juice
¾ oz. Lemon juice
¾ oz. Wildflower honey
Jigger all ingredients into mixing tin. Shake and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with greens and edible flower.
The mixologists at El Silencio created this recipe.
Wake The Dead
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Gin
½ oz. Simple syrup
¼ oz. Lime juice
Shaken topped with ginger beer
Two dashes Angostura bitters
Combine ingredients and shake. Pour into pint glass rimmed with Twang-A Rita Unwind Lime and garnish with mint sprig.
Aaron Peña, owner/bartender of The Squeezebox in San Antonio, TX, created this recipe with Twang.
