CILANTRO SOTORITA

A margarita is tequila, lime and orange liqueur. This one keeps the shape and changes almost everything inside it.

Sotol goes in for the tequila, Ancho Reyes for the triple sec, and cucumber and cilantro turn the whole thing savory. It drinks like a margarita that spent time in a garden.

What you need

• 2 oz Los Magos Sotol Blanco
• .5 oz Ancho Reyes
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• .5 oz agave nectar
• .5 oz cucumber juice
• 6 cilantro leaves

How to make it

1. Muddle the cilantro leaves gently in the bottom of a shaker.
2. Add every other ingredient and fill with ice.
3. Shake for 12 seconds.
4. Strain into a glass over fresh ice.
5. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a cilantro sprig.

Press the cilantro rather than pulverizing it. Torn leaves release the oils. Shredded leaves release chlorophyll and turn the drink grassy.

Why sotol works here

Cilantro and cucumber are both delicate, and blanco tequila tends to steamroll them with sweetness. The drink ends up tasting like a margarita with something green floating in it.

Our Blanco is already herbaceous, so the cilantro reads as an extension of the spirit instead of a garnish. The black pepper meets the dried chile in the Ancho Reyes halfway, and the cucumber cools the whole thing down. Nothing in the glass is fighting for attention.

Questions we get

How do I make cucumber juice?
Blend half a peeled cucumber and strain through a fine mesh. One cucumber gives you enough for four drinks.

What if I don't have Ancho Reyes?
Use .5 oz triple sec and a pinch of ancho chile powder. It gets close.

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Make it with the bottle it was built for.
Los Magos Sotol Blanco, 750ml. Wild-harvested and triple distilled, with no additives.