Friends tell me tomorrow is National Tequila Day.
I generally dislike the media machine that is fake media holidays, but for Tequila Day, I'll make an exception. That, and I just haven't gotten around to sharing one of the best cocktails I've had this year! (I know, I'm holding out on you. I'm sorry.)
At the Casa Dragones Blanco launch in April, Jim Meehan designed four spectacular cocktails using the exceptional tequila (read my review here). The San Miguel was my absolute favorite - so simple, so clean, and so crisp. I could drink this cocktail daily until the end of my days. It's that good.
The cocktail is essentially an Old Fashioned made with tequila, celery bitters, agave, and garnished with a grapefruit peel. Genius. This cocktail shows such sophistication with the layering of subtle and delicate flavors. I was blown away.
Upon asking Mr. Meehan why he chose to use celery bitters, he properly educated me on bitters 101:
"It's a great tequila, and my philosophy when mixing with great tequila is to try to not get in the way...traditional bitters like Angostura or Peychaud's ... are for barrel aged spirits for the most part or for gins that have botanicals. You have to go to alternative bitters when you're using them to spice your cocktails with tequila."
Ah! Mind. Blown.
Without further ado, and for your imbibing pleasure:
The San Miguel
Created by Jim Meehan
2 oz Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila
Barspoon of Agave Syrup
2 Dashes of Miracle Mile Celery Bitters
Stir with ice and strain over a large cube into a chilled rocks glass rinsed with grapefruit oil
Garnish with the grapefruit twist.
Get your Casa Dragones Blanco here.