Pomegranate Basil Margarita (pictured left) Recipe cour tesy of The Per fec t Puree Who says a batch of Margaritas needs to be sipped poolside? In this cocktail, aged Tequila lends complex agave notes, basil gives it herbal freshness and pomegranate concentrate provides that much-needed zing. • • • • • • •
1 ½ oz Tequila Cazadores Reposado 1 oz The Perfect Purée Pomegranate Concentrate, thawed ½ oz simple syrup ½ oz fresh lime juice 3 basil leaves Coarse salt and lime wedges, for rimming (optional) Orange slice, for garnish
If you are rimming the glasses, rub the outside rim with the lime wedge, coat it in coarse salt and then set aside. Add the first five ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain over fresh ice in the prepared rocks glass and garnish with the orange slice.
For the Fuji apple - inf u s ed C achaça : Peel and cut 8 Fuji apples. Place in a container along with a 750 ml bottle of Cachaça. Let macerate for 72 hours, then strain out solids.
Photo courtesy of Cuba Libre
Apple-Cranberry Caipirinha Rec ipe cour tesy of Angel Roque, E x ecutive Chef, Cuba Libre The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail, evocative of teeny tiny bikinis and the sandy beaches at Ipanema. But it gets a winter makeover in this drink, which mixes cranberry-infused Cachaça with lime, apple cider and sugar cane juice. Christmas by the beach never felt so good.
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2 oz Fuji apple-infused Velho Barreiro Cachaça (see note above) 2 lime wedges 1 tsp superfine sugar 1 splash guarapo (can substitute simple syrup) 1 splash lime juice 1 splash apple cider 2 fresh cranberries, for garnish
Put the lime wedges, Cachaça and superfine sugar in a rocks glass and muddle. Add ice and the rest of the ingredients; stir to combine. Garnish with the fresh cranberries. Fall 2017 • itmmag.com
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