Bartender's Margarita

Due to a reader on the Greatest Drink's facebook page, Lauren A., Tequila made it to the front of the pack for ingredients this week.

Lauren offered the use of some new videos from Olmeca Tequila, to enhance the site even further; chuck in an element of education, and maybe even a dash of class! (Be sure to click on some of Olmeca's other videos for further viewing!)

Thank you Lauren!

And it twas thus that The Bartender's Margarita found this week's spotlight! And a well earned spotlight it is!

The Recipe:

Into a cocktail shaker full of ice, add:

- a 4 count of gold tequila

- a 2 count of triple sec,

- a 3 count of sweet & sour

- a splash of cranberry juice

- the juice of 1/2 large lime, and include the peel,

- Shake well. Actually, shake the living daylights out of that thing!

- Pour all ingredients, (including the lime,) into a 16 ounce pint glass with a salted rim.

- top with a float of Grand Marnier.

- Serve, (without a straw!)

Chris's Notes: I am a big fan of tequila. So I was pretty quick to accept Lauren A's offer of the Olmeca videos for this week, and I called Joe straight away, (easy with my new-fangled "speed dial" buttons!,) to request a good tequila drink!

Joe, in his usual manner, seemed really excited about the idea!

He already had a candidate in mind for the occasion, and would present it to me on my next visit.

Just look at that thing, would ya? You can SEE the taste in that baby! The tequila reigns supreme on the palate, true, but all of those other flavors are not lost, NO! The delicate dance of tickling the taste buds finds this week's entry appealing to almost all of one's tongue: Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and all in such balance.

Its like a party in the mouth!

Cheers!

Joe's Notes: This week's entry into TGDitWTW library is the Bartender's Margarita. We chose this particular cocktail as we felt it embodied our blog's mantra, i.e. quality and fresh ingredients. There are as many margarita recipes as there are bartenders serving them, and at the end of the day, it is all down to one's own taste preference.

But the margarita does bring to light one of the few things that irritate me as a bartender:

Why salt the rim of the glass if you are going to drink from a straw? (Note that in this week's photo the drink is purposely missing the straw.)

While we are on the subject of things that irritate me, let me mention the Martini. Do not order a Martini and then return it because it has gin in it. (Don't look innocent, you know what I'm talking about!)

I don't intend to rant but, don't order a cocktail if you don't like the main ingredient "Can you make me a Dark & Stormy but with something other then rum?" The answer is "No."

Never call me over and then raise your finger to me as an indication to hold while you finish your conversation or phone call. It is very likely that you will not see me again for the rest of the evening.

Don't come to my bar drunk and expect me to serve you. I do not mind getting you to your happy place myself, but I do not want another bartender's sloppy seconds.

If we all follow the "Rules," I think we will all get along splendidly. Please feel free to respond with what irritates you about bartenders. Remember, it is a two way street.

Cheers, Joe

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This week's music video is DIRECTLY RELATED!!!

Actually, this scene from Pee Wee's Big Adventure could be the official video for The Champs' 1958 hit, "Tequila!"

The SaseboRita

On a recent vacation to New Mexico, I was lucky enough to be introduced to some new Tequila as well as some new Tequila-based drinks.

Senior Research Assistant Kerry suggested her friends from Arizona join us. It was her friend, Jackie, who brought the following recipe to The Greatest Drink in the World... This Week.

Thanks, Jackie!

The Recipe:

Into a cocktail shaker full of ice, add

- A 2 count of 100 Años Tequila Blanco, (any white tequila SHOULD suffice, but this one was good!)

- a 1 count of Triple Sec

- 3 count POM Pomegranate Juice

- the juice from a half of a large, freshly 'squozen' lime,

- Shake it. Shake like the very wind!

- Strain into a large, 16 ounce glass of fresh ice,

- top off with a fat 'sploosh' of soda, (or Sprite,)

- Garnish with a fresh slice of lime.

Jackie's notes:

So, two Phoenix desert rats rendezvous with two Boston siblings in the southwestern jewel of Albuquerque, for a weekend of exploration and fun. There was no way I could let Chris break his streak of introducing a weekly libation to the world, despite the fact that he was entering his second week of vacation, just coming from the wild-lands of Colorado. After a day on a mission of shopping in Old Town, we were hankering for a margarita. Not just any margarita, but one that reflects the true aura of the southwest. So was born the SaseboRita

Chris's Notes:

Sauza's 100 Años Tequila Blanco may be among the leading Tequilas back in Mexico, but it has only been a few years since it was available here in the states. It seemed an excellent choice for a cocktail selection in New Mexico, and I wanted to try it. So I was very happy to see that this was the brand that Jackie chose for her SaseboRita.

Jackie's choice of flavor, the pomegranate, was never explained to me aside from her wanting to create a really good tasting cocktail.

Interestingly, though, POM Wonderful®, the brand of pomegranate juice, was pressured by the FDA to be sold as a drug due to its high levels of antioxidants and health benefits on a wide assortment of medical issues!

HEALTH FOOD! I should have known it! Jackie and her fellow Phoenician, (and guest researcher,) Tom 'Whitefoot', are healthy-types: Hikers, joggers, bikers, et cetera. I am not surprised that a key ingredient in one of her concoctions is something so good for a person.

Fortunately, it tastes great! The rich and robust flavor of the pomegranate is really well balanced with the sharpness of the lime and tequila, and the flavors are bridged seamlessly by the orange of the triple sec.

I think that chile pepper pint glass was the perfect finishing touch on this one.

Cheers, Chris

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This week's only-somewhat-related token video is actually somewhat related! "More than a Friend" by Rob Huffman, (it was at Rob's house in Albuquerque that I was served this week's Greatest Drink.)

Thanks, Rob!

MY Mai Tai

Hey! This is my debut as "Guest Mixologist" on this blog, (I'm so excited!)

I hope you dig my own entry into The Greatest Drink in the World... This Week!

~ C:

One of my favorite mixed drinks of all time is the Mai Tai. There are many recipes for this “Elixir of the Gods,” and they vary from place to place, (and I have done a fairly extensive search looking for my faves, by the way!) But I decided to do a little "work," and create my own recipe. It took me most of the summer to finally get the perfect balance of the flavors I liked, but I am very happy with it, (and I am drinking one as I write this!)

My Mai Tai Recipe

The hooch:

1 ounce Bacardi White Rum

1 ounce Captain Morgan’s Parrot Bay Mango Rum

1 ounce Captain Morgan’s Parrot Bay Coconut Rum

1 ounce Triple Sec

1 ounce Amaretto

A splash of Myers Dark Rum

The Juices:

1 ounce Rose's Lime Juice

A dash of Rose's Grenadine

5 ounces of Pineapple juice

The Mix:

-Mix the white rum, the mango rum, the coconut rum, the triple sec and the Amaretto together with the lime juice and pour into a 16-ounce pint glass full of ice.

-Add the pineapple juice and stir.

-Pour a dash of grenadine so that it settles down the bottom.

-Float a splash of Myer's Dark Rum across the top.

-Garnish with a chunk of pineapple, a maraschino cherry, and or a slice of lime, and of course, a paper umbrella.

The straw hits the grenadine first giving a burst of sweet with just a pinch of rum taste. This changes soon and all of those flavors beat the sweet bejesus out of your taste buds. And just when the drink is almost dry, and the ice has melted a bit, the Myer’s Dark jumps in for a last minute “Pop!” MMMmmm, good!

Recipe by: ME! Chris Toler, Blog Author & resident souse!

Chris's notes: It is by no means a traditional mix, (the original had no pineapple juice!) but one straight outta my own melon. And it does what it sets out to do, too; give a great, all-over summery feeling in a Polynesian way!

And it tastes like pure, tropical sunshine in a glass!

Okole maluna!

- Chris

Boston Tea Party

No more should New York hog all the glory with the Long Island Iced Tea! Here is a recipe for a beverage that bests that brew pays homage to America’s sports team, The Boston Red Sox.

It’s official name is “The Big Papi Boston Tea Party” and was developed in honor of the Red Sox slugger. It is like a variation of the Long Island Ice Tea, but all Bostoned up in some key ways to make this the superior drink!

The Recipe:

Into a cocktail mixing tumbler;

- pour a 2 count of Absolut Boston, (a limited edition vodka from Absolut flavored with black tea and elderflowers!)

- pour a 1 count of Brugal Dominican Rum,

- pour a 2 count of Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila,

- pour a 1 count of Bombay Sapphire Gin,

- pour a 1 count of St-Germain,

- pour a 1 count of triple Sec,

- add a splash of sour mix,

- add a squeeze of fresh lemon,

- shake vigorously

- strain into a 16 ounce pint glass filled with ice,

- top off with a splash of Coke,

- garnish with a wedge of fresh lemon, orange and/or a cherry.

- Original recipe by Joe the Bartender, Passage to India restaurant, Salem, MA

Show your support for the Red Sox and make this your beverage of choice!