CUCUMBER CILANTRO MARGARITA

Ingredienser

Kosher salt, optional

4 thin slices cucumber, plus a ¼-inch-thick slice for garnish

2 sprigs fresh cilantro

½ cup ice cubes

2 ounces (¼ cup) silver tequila

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) fresh lime juice

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) agave syrup

½ ounce (1 tablespoon) Bols Triple Sec

Vejledning

To salt the rim of your glass, fill a shallow bowl with water. On a small plate, pour a circle of salt. Dip the rim of a rocks glass or margarita glass in the water, then dip it into the salt and set it aside.

In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle the 4 cucumber slices with 1 cilantro sprig until the cucumber releases most of its juices and the cilantro is smashed and fragrant. Add the ice cubes, tequila, lime juice, agave syrup, and triple sec. Cover and shake vigorously for 4 seconds. Pour the drink, including the ice, into the glass. Serve the margarita garnished with the remaining cucumber slice and cilantro sprig.

Notater

This is a refreshing, summery spin on a margarita. “Muddling” is a fancy term for smashing vegetables and herbs to release their juices and essential oils. In this case you smash a few pieces of cucumber and a sprig of cilantro in a cocktail shaker before adding the alcohol. You can buy a drinks muddler designed specifically for the task, or you can just use the end of a wooden spoon to do the mashing. Shaking the cocktail vigorously for 4 seconds is crucial, not just to cool down the drink and incorporate the ingredients, but also to melt a little of the ice so it dilutes the drink slightly and brings all the flavors into balance.

Trejo’s Tip

PRE-BATCHING COCKTAILS FOR A PARTY

Making one or two drinks from scratch is one thing, but when you’re throwing a party you don’t want to be playing bartender all night long. Pre-batching is a caterer trick that cuts down on the drink-making when the party is in full swing. While you can’t pre-batch the Cucumber-Cilantro Margarita or Red Chile Margarita, many of the other drinks in this chapter are easy to scale up and make in advance. Simply multiply the liquid ingredients by the number of drinks you want to serve, and mix them in a large bowl or pitcher. Load up an ice bucket. Set up your garnishes. And come party time, simply load a glass with ice, ladle or pour in the liquid ingredients, garnish, and serve.