Taste CHEERS
AUTUMNAL ESSENCE SOL Cocina’s Pumpkin Spice Margarita
BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BARRY
SOL Cocina’s most popular fall cocktail, the Pumpkin Spice Margarita ($10), has the farmers market to thank for its conception. “Every month, we head out to the farmers market to seek out ingredients for this ever-changing experimental margarita,” says Colin Pflugradt, beverage director at SOL Cocina. “And every year, we turned to the pumpkin with the crazy idea to put it into a margarita.” According to Pflugradt, they tried everything from making their own puree to roasting it in-house, but to no avail. The flavor profile just didn’t work – until they came across Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin Pie Mix. “We only deal in fresh ingredients, so, at first, the idea of a mix was out,” Pflugradt says. “But, Libby’s is all-natural – it goes from the seed to the can right in the U.S. – and has zero perservatives, so we gave it a shot.” First, Pflugradt mixes equal parts Libby’s and fresh-squeezed lime juice, which balances the sweetness of the pie flavor while enhancing the spice notes. After shaking, he adds nectar sourced directly from the agave plant, and then, of course, tequila. “We prefer Don Julio Blanco for its crispness and sweet finish. It bridges the flavors of the lime and agave nectar while balancing the pumpkin pie’s strong spice elements,” Pflugradt says. The final product is strained into a bucket glass over ice and dusted with cinnamon, then garnished with a lime wheel and cinnamon stick. “Think boozy, adult pumpkin pie in a glass,” says Pflugradt, who is known for offering free samples to skeptics. SOL Cocina, 15323 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale; 480.245.6708; www.solcocina.com.
114
So Scottsdale! October '17