Just Add Chips
When I first heard about San Miguel Southwestern Gin that @old_harbor was going to send me— full of lime, cilantro, and cucumber, among other botanicals— I immediately thought of salsa. But how could I bring in salsa into a cocktail? I’m curious to hear others’ approach here, but I went with a shrub.
I kept the ingredient list fairly simple— tomato, red bell pepper, hatch chili pepper, cilantro. The result didn’t have much spice so if you’re making this at home, consider jalapeño or something spicier if that suits you. Check out my website (link in bio) for full specs, but the short version is to blend the tomatoes/peppers with sugar and strain and combine with cilantro-infused vinegar (mix of red + white wine). The result is super fresh, slightly savory, vegetal, and definitely reads like pico de gallo without the onion bite.
The drink is SO tasty. It tastes like salsa without being weird. It’s great with an herbaceous gin but the San Miguel takes it to a whole other level. The tequila adds just a bit more earthy/greenness (mezcal would work well too) and I added some spice on the back end for just a bit of kick.
Recipe
1.5oz Gin (San Miguel Southwestern Gin, gifted from @old_harbor)
0.5oz blanco tequila
0.75oz salsa shrub
0.5oz lime juice
0.5oz simple syrup
5-6 drops @scrappysbitters fire tincture (gifted)
Shake, fine strain into salted glass with ice cubes (I cut some perfectly clear cubes from @iceblox_ri). Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with a side of tortilla chips. Cheers!!
