Not to be confused with the Spanish wine-and-fruit-based alcoholic beverage sangria, sangrita (meaning “little blood”) is a traditional accompaniment to a tequila served completo; a non-alcoholic sipper that cleanses the palate between fiery doses of agave.
Years ago I was taught that sangrita is a blend of tomato and orange juices, with the addition of something spicy (hot sauce, typically) for a little kick. But further research has convinced me that this American sangrita recipe, while still enjoyable and certainly prevalent, is not altogether authentic.
Real sangrita from the Lake Chapala region of Jalisco is made with Seville orange and pomegranate juices, with powdered chiles added for heat. Taking into account that even the most cocktailian bartender (professional or otherwise) doesn’t typically stock sour oranges or pomegranate juice behind the bar, I’ve worked up a recipe that should approximate the flavor of this spicy little sour orange and pomegranate chaser while still providing an authentic experience.
1 oz orange juice (freshly-squeezed)
¾ oz - 1 oz lime juice (depending on the sweetness of your oranges)
½ oz real pomegranate grenadine
3 dashes hot sauce or ¼ tsp chile powder
Mix ingredients, chill, and serve.
This is far from the final word on sangrita. I’ll still continue to enjoy the tomato varieties (1,2,3), but I think you’ll find a brightness and depth of flavor from this version that plays better with a wider variety of mezcals and tequilas than its heavier gringo cousin.
What’s your experience with sangrita? Chime in with your stories and recipes in the comments section.
One question I'm often asked is "Do you have any drink-related book recommendations?" Well, funny you should ask, I've compiled a list of the ten books every professional bartender or home mixologist should own. I keep every one of these close at hand and have read most of them several times. I suggest you do the same.
It's always mojito season somewhere, so this advice is timely in your area about half the year. Wether you're making them or simply enjoying them, this advice will help you look like a pro in no time at all.
The flavors of the Richmond Gimlet are imbued with sunshine. Fresh mint mingling with the herbaceousness of gin and the tartness of lime have made this drink a Eugene classic for many years now.
You'll get a lot of snarky advice on this site about how to make a proper drink, but if you ever need to know what not to do, this is the video for you.
The world of booze can be mystifying to people that don't work in bars or around alcohol all the time. I hear a lot of assumptions about the industry I'm in that are - much like 90% of what you hear in bars - completely false. Here are a few you've probably heard yourself.
The debate rages on: Should we try to look cool and crack open the Boston shaker or be tidy professionals and use the Hawthorne strainer the way God intended? Be sure to leave your two cents in the comments section.
The traditional garnish for a Pisco Sour is a couple of drops of bitters in the foam, but I've never been particularly impressed with the way these few paltry drops of bitters sat in their little egg-white mattress and didn't play along with the rest of the drink. I envisioned a Pisco Sour with a uniformly-distributed bitters-scorched foam: slightly crisp as the fire burnt the sugars, and slightly warm as the foam insulated the rest of the frosty cocktail from the heat. A pisco creme brulée in a glass!
I get so many visitors looking for tips on how to write a bartending resume that I thought I should finally post a tutorial on how to write your own. Click the headline to read more.
I always love showing up to a party with a gallon jug of pre-mixed margaritas, so I've decided to share my recipe. This margarita recipe is the perfect blend of strong, sweet, and sour. But be warned: this recipe packs a serious punch.
There isn't much I can say about this video that hasn't been said already. If you've read anything I've written about cocktails, you'll understand why this video symbolizes everything wrong with the state of bartending in America today. Watch and learn, but be warned: this one isn't for the feint of heart.
About Me
My name is Jeff Morgenthaler and I'm the head bartender at Bel Ami in Eugene, Oregon.
I'm 36, I've been tending bar for 12 years and writing about it for 5. Mixing drinks has become something of a passion for me in recent years, and I strive to elevate the experience of having a drink from something mundane to something more culinary.
The writing I do here is intended as a work in progress. My recipes are like my opinions: they are constantly being revised and refined as I work them through my mind and my fingers. Comments and participation are encouraged, so please don't feel the need to tread lightly here.
While working on a host of new drinks for the El Vaquero drink menu, I found several references to a Nacional Daiquiri, created at the Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba using apricot brandy.
Never able to leave well enough alone, I fooled around with proportions and flavors until I came up with this twist on the hotel’s famous daiquiri. It’s been a huge hit this spring.
1.5 oz Bacardi Superior rum
.75 oz apricot brandy
1 oz fresh lime juice
.75 oz simple syrup
2 generous dashes Fee Brothers Peach Bitters
Shake ingredients well over cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.
As I was measuring all of the ingredients for this cocktail, I just knew it was going to be good. The apricot and peach aromas really invite you into the drink. I was worried it was going to be too sweet (it was a little sweet), but the lime does such a great job of balancing things out.
Thanks, Rick. Whenever I make this drink at work I have to enjoy the aroma coming from the mixing glass. I wish I could soak my upper lip in peach bitters sometimes.
There’s nothing quite so nice as the feeling you get when you see a recipe you want to try and realize that you have every ingredient sitting at home, waiting for you.
“They had another free daiquiri each, frozen so stiffly that it had to be drunk in tiny drops…”
Graham Greene’s novel Our Man in Havana is required daiquiri reading. It is mentioned throughout the book. The Havana Club and the Wonder bar are where they drink it and the morning is the favoured time. (”Wormold drank his daiquiri too fast and left the Havana Club with his eyes aching”). And then there is The Nacional, where they serve poisoned food, where you drink deadly whiskies and where the barmen try to kill you with lethal daiquiris.
I own a small library of books on the subject of bartending. Some of these books are geared toward the professional bartender, while others are written for the home mixologist. But regardless of the intended audience, almost every book I own heartily recommends that we use paring knives for cutting fruits and garnishes. […]
05 Jun 2007 at 4:28 pm 1. Rick
Jeffrey,
As I was measuring all of the ingredients for this cocktail, I just knew it was going to be good. The apricot and peach aromas really invite you into the drink. I was worried it was going to be too sweet (it was a little sweet), but the lime does such a great job of balancing things out.
And any use of peach bitters gets me interested.
Well done.
06 Jun 2007 at 1:15 am 2. Jeffrey
Thanks, Rick. Whenever I make this drink at work I have to enjoy the aroma coming from the mixing glass. I wish I could soak my upper lip in peach bitters sometimes.
Makes me happy.
06 Jun 2007 at 2:50 pm 3. Marleigh
There’s nothing quite so nice as the feeling you get when you see a recipe you want to try and realize that you have every ingredient sitting at home, waiting for you.
Definitely going to try this tonight.
06 Jun 2007 at 8:14 pm 4. Marleigh
Addendum: damn. Now I see why it’s such a big seller. Excellent!
(There’s a little write up and a photo over at the blog.)
07 Jun 2007 at 7:52 am 5. Dan
You and your bitters
07 Jun 2007 at 8:21 am 6. Jeffrey
Thanks, Marleigh! Can you believe I’m going through a case of peach bitters every month now?
07 Jun 2007 at 4:24 pm 7. Marleigh
A case?! Geez, the people at Fee Brothers must luuuuurve you.
20 Jun 2007 at 6:18 pm 8. Japanesewhisky
“They had another free daiquiri each, frozen so stiffly that it had to be drunk in tiny drops…”
Graham Greene’s novel Our Man in Havana is required daiquiri reading. It is mentioned throughout the book. The Havana Club and the Wonder bar are where they drink it and the morning is the favoured time. (”Wormold drank his daiquiri too fast and left the Havana Club with his eyes aching”). And then there is The Nacional, where they serve poisoned food, where you drink deadly whiskies and where the barmen try to kill you with lethal daiquiris.
21 Jun 2007 at 8:58 am 9. Jeffrey
Wow, thanks, Chris, I’m going to have to pick that up!