Cascade Golfer 19th Hole

Solstice sippin’

The Mangonada Slushie Milago Silver Tequila is the star staple of this spicy slurry

BY BART POTTER • CG STAFF WRITER

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As a bartender and bar owner, Nina Maldonado never knows when the inspiration for a new cocktail might strike.

“A lot of them kind of come to you in the middle of the night or whenever,” she says. “You know, it can hit at any time.”

If she can’t tell you a date and time she was inspired to create the Mangonada Slushie, she knows for sure it was before she opened El Lugar in July 2022.

The Mangonada Slushie, made with fresh ingredients and Milagro Silver tequila, was on the opening-night bar menu, and it’s been a fixture ever since. It starts with a rocks glass with Chamoy Tajin on the rim. The slushed-ice mixture is made up of lime, agave, and mango puree. Then, a splash more salty, spicy Chamoy to cut the sweetness.

“And then of course, we add the Milagro (ounce and a half) in there,” Maldonado says, “which is just a really wonderful tequila for it.”

Finally, top it off with mango bits and tamarind candy pieces.

“We wanted to keep it kind of simple and use a puree as opposed to a syrup, you know, keep it a little healthier, a little more real,” Maldonado says. “Mangonada is like a really great, fun mix of sweet and spicy for a cocktail.”

Milagro Silver, distributed worldwide by William Grant and Sons, is the perfect flavor profile for the Maldonado Mangonada. 

“It’s so balanced and smooth,” she says. “Other tequilas can have peppery, leathery notes, or some of them have additives and they’re a little caramel-y and sweeter, and we definitely don’t need that. So yeah, Milagro is like a really great, perfect balance for it.”

Launching El Lugar (606 E. Pine St.; lugarbodegabar.com) was a business decision for Maldonado, but it was a creative choice, too.

“It’s something I’ve always enjoyed, like cooking and, you know, creating my own kind of recipes and spin on things. I did (fashion) styling for a while, too. So, I was kind of always in creative fields.”

She’s put her imagination to tasty use on El Lugar’s bar menu. 

“We do a lot of different margaritas,” she says. “We do a tamarind one, made with fresh tamarind paste. We do a guava one, a cilantro and jalapeno one, a spicy one where we infuse the tequila in house.”

Maldonado likes the versatility of slushies. For the holidays, she did a spicy coffee-based version, and she’s done a pear slushie, too.

At Home Bar Mixology

The Mangonada Slushie

By Nina Maldonado • El Lugar Bodega Bar • Capitol Hill, Seattle

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 oz. of Milagro Silver Tequila

• Slushie mixture of lime, agave and mango puree

• Splash of Chamoy

• Top with fresh mango

• Finish with tamarind candy bits

INSTRUCTIONS

• As batch or single cocktail serve cold.

• Pour into vessel that is available at home. 

• Best served and crafted for a rocks glass.

• Sip and enjoy before it melts.

Mixology Master Nina Maldonado

Nina Maldonado wanted to bring her favorite Mexican groceries to Capitol Hill, so El Lugar Bodega Bar was created in 2022. 

El Lugar Bodega Bar is a one-stop shop for your favorite Mexican drinks like Horchata or Mexican hot chocolate. Want something with a little more kick? Grab one of their various margaritas or a mezcal hot toddy. They also serve small plates ranging from esquites to tamales and in true bodega style you can pick up everything from pinatas to paletas! 

Other favorites by El Lugar and Maldonado are fresh tortillas (Milpa Masa), tres leche y flan (Pueblo Viejo), selections of hot sauces, Mexican crafts and imports for your home. And a big pull of course is the full bar and mixology there.

Pro tip: Come by Saturday and Sunday and order their pan dulce. Thank us later. Be sure to check out the family’s other restaurant Fogón Cocina Mexicana, too.

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