When fall rolls around, people break out the pumpkin spice, apples, and robust flavors as the summer slinks slowly away. We are looking to hold on to the warmth of summer through food and flavor. My personal favorite part of the fall is people declaring it very chilly at around 60, when in spring they were wearing shorts and t-shirts when it was 60. It may just be an Ohio thing, but still amusing. There is a movement to bourbon cocktails, with their naturally warming flavors and affinity to the above mentioned apples and spices that go with them.
Centro Latin Kitchen in Boulder, CO and their mixologist Devlin DeVore brought their experimentation with Latin cuisine behind the bar with the Manzartia. Manzana means apple in Spanish, and this cocktail puts apple and cinnamon front and center. Not something you'd expect to be mixed with tequila, but the pairing is incredible. Their cocktails change on a regular basis, and they look incredible. Definitely a place to explore if you are in Boulder and hungry for something unique.
Tequila on a crisp fall day. Sounds good to me.
Manzarita (by Devlin DeVore of Centro Boulder)
Half of a lemon, cut into quarters
A pinch of cinnamon
2 oz./ 60 mL blanco tequila
1 oz./ 30 mL elderflower liqueur
1.5 oz./ 45 mL apple cider
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Cinnamon Stick
Ice: Cubed
Muddle the lemon quarters and cinnamon in a mixing tin. Add the tequila, elderflower liqueur, and apple cider. Shake vigorously, then strain over fresh ice into a Rocks glass. Garnish with the cinnamon stick and serve.
Tasty. I could use a little more apple flavor to come forward, but the end result is an exquisite treat of the fall variety. These are the sort of flavor pairings I am looking to try as I explore the modern cocktail; something that you would not normally think of, but makes complete sense after you have sipped it. This is going to be experimented with later with other tequilas to see how they work in the same recipe. As it is, this is a fine cocktail.