LONDON (AP) — Spicy drinks are having a moment, and it’s no longer just standard spicy margs and bloody marys. Bartenders are getting experimental to create the perfect combination with a kick. “The same way that you want to season a steak or a pork chop, you want to add multiple layers.
And I think spice does that if you do it the right way,” says Turner Greaves, bartender at New York’s Sip and Guzzle. He makes a tequila highball called Doctor Green, which he describes as “super-herbaceous, vegetal, a little bitter. It’s got tomatillo, green apple, shiso, horseradish, and then you can make it spicier with a little serrano pepper on the side.” Customers get to add more spice with a little spice dropper delivered with their serving.
Cocktail tastes are changing from sweet to savory James Stevenson, co-founder of Brutes of Mayfair cocktail bar in London, says drinks were very sweet when he started out 20 years ago, and now consumers’ tastes have shifted. “I think there’s a real movement toward savory cocktails,” he says. “Every drink we put on the menu that is more savory or has a pickled element or spice element tends to be our bestseller.” Stevenson makes a mezcal-based Bagheera, which he describes as a turbo-spiced margarita.
“We juice (blend) rather than shaking the drink, with fresh chile and coriander,” he says. They make a fresh syrup, adding tequila and freshly squeezed lime, and finish off the drink with a house-made Tajin salt rim. Agave spirits are a good match for spicy and savory It’s no coincidence both bartenders picked agave-based spirits — tequila and mezcal — for their spicy offerings.
Stevenson explains that a lot of the flavor profiles you get from agaves are fresher, more vegetal than other spirits. “They’re just very akin to chiles,” he says. Noting that tequila pairs well with salt, he adds, “Spice and savory flavors are just a natural kinship.” Alex Lyoness, bar manager at London’s FlipDog, makes his Late Night cocktail with a hint of an after-hours kebab and pickles.
He uses a white tequila and a raicilla (an agave similar to mezcal). Soy sauce brings a deep flavor, he says, and a homemade chile tincture spices things up. He then adds an onion and olive brine “like the ultimate dirty martini,” and garnishes with a bright pink pickled turnip.
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