It’s always interesting when you get a text message like this: “I need a second / third opinion on this cocktail”. Checking the link, I was surprised when I saw it was a split base cocktail. Not so much on the fact that it was a split base, but more so the type of base spirits that went into this concoction: whiskey and tequila. I’d honestly never peg those two spirits as being able to pair well together. So, full of curiosity, I replied back that I was more than happy to provide a second opinion on this recipe. For science, of course.
As previously noted, my whiskey supply down here on the Cape has been limited to a single malt Ardbeg, so no mixing of that. Fortunately, my two week self quarantine expired last Friday, so I was able to run out and do a small booze re-supply. I picked up a bottle of rye for cocktailing (or sipping neat), so I’m all set in the whiskey department. As to the tequila, my brother in law left a bottle in the back of the liquor cabinet here over the winter, so I claimed eminent domain and utilized that.
Man of Leisure
1 ½ ounces whiskey
1 ounce silver tequila
½ ounce lime juice
¼ ounce simple syrup
top with about 1 ½ ounces ginger beer
3 dashes Angostura bitters
lime wedge, for garnish
Combine whiskey, tequila, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a snifter with ice. Top with ginger beer, Angostura bitters, and garnish with a lime wedge.
In a bit of a surprise to me, I only get a very subtle ginger-lime scent. Maybe a hint of bitters mixed in there? I thought I would get more of a boozy smell, given the two base spirits. Perhaps the ginger beer acts as a mask for booze odors?
The first sip is an interesting mix of flavor. Of the two base spirits, the tequila is the one that comes through the most. I can taste the rye a bit at the end but the flavor isn’t anything overwhelming. The sip finishes with a touch of sour which I attribute to the lime juice and the tequila playing off of one another. The dash of bitters on top adds a nice finish as well. Floating them on top makes sure they aren’t lost in this melting pot of flavors.
Due to glassware limitations (sadly I am snifter-less down here), I was only able to add about an ounce of ginger beer at the finish. Either I added too much ice to it, or the rocks glass I was using was not big enough for everything. After a sip down or two I was able to add more and it improved it as I thought it would. I am pleasantly surprised how well tequila and whiskey play together.
Once again, this would be a great summer drink. It takes a little time to construct it, but it is well worth the effort. Not sure if you could scale it up and make a giant batch, but I suppose you could, and then top with the bitters and ginger beer as needed. Just be careful. this is a deceptive drinker. It does not taste overly boozy, and goes down way too easy (phrasing).
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I half expect Jello shots sometimes. Just a weird retro way of drinking and a high probability of a terrible hangover.
Happy Friday. Thanks for the recipe.
I cannot wait to try this drink. I too would have never guessed tequila with whiskey but it sounds like it works!
I might have to add to me package store list and give this a try. I’m out of tequila anyway. Also I just managed to save someone’s ass from a huge mistake (like six figures) they made on a case, so I’mma take the rest of the day off.
I’m thinking too many of these would cause some damage, but it sounds like a great way to go.
Last night I made a new drink, called the Oh God What Did Trump Tweet Today.
2-3 shots of gin (didn’t measure)
Club soda
Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Start with a tumbler. 3 ice cubes. Add gin. Add club soda to the top. Add Frank’s until it’s a Trump-orange color. Stir. Drink until the burn of the hot sauce is numbed by the gin and ice.
NOTE: Frank’s Red Hot original. NOT the Frank’s Wing Sauce, which includes butter.
The Hague’s War Crime Tribunal would like a moment of your time, sir.
The prosecutor would be an asshole….. literally.