This podcast series is in collaboration with PATRÓN Tequila, the world’s No. 1 super-premium tequila that is passionately handcrafted in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. To learn more about the PATRÓN, visit PATRÓNTequila.com.
In part four of this six-episode series, host Zach Geballe delves into the various ways that PATRÓN Tequila can be incorporated into cocktails. To better understand this, he speaks with Stephanie Teslar and Egor Polonsky from the PATRÓN advocacy and mixology team. They explore classic drinks like the Paloma and the Tequila Sunrise as well as some exciting agave-based riffs on the Negroni.
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Zach Geballe: Welcome to “Hablando de Tequila.” I’m your host, Zach Geballe. Throughout this six-part series, we will explore the history, people, culture, and future of tequila. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Stephanie Teslar and Egor Polonsky from the PATRÓN advocacy and mixology team. We dive into all the other cocktails you can make with tequila, from the Paloma and the Tequila Sunrise to twists on classics like the Negroni and Old Fashioned. Stephanie and Egor, thank you so much for your time.
Stephanie Teslar: Thank you for having us.
Egor Polonsky: Awesome, Zach. Thank you for the invite.
Z: Yeah, my pleasure. Let’s get a little bit of background about the two of you before we dig into the many ways that we can use tequila in cocktails. I am amped for this, it’s getting to be the afternoon here, and I’m looking forward to my cocktail a little later. Stephanie, how about you first? What’s your background?
S: I have almost 20 years in hospitality. I used to manage bars and restaurants, and I worked a lot in the hotel-beverage world. I’ve always had a real affinity for Mexico and for agave and tequila, specifically. So it was a natural progression that I eventually led myself into the role that I’m in right now, which is the East Coast trade education manager with PATRÓN.
Z: Excellent. And Egor, how about you?
E: I have a somewhat similar path as Stephanie. I actually started around 2008 as the classic nightclub bartender in South Beach, Miami. Slowly, with maturity, I grew from there into someone who got a lot of passion for really well-made spirits. Overall, I learned a lot about how things are made and I put some time into educating myself about the craft cocktail movement. From there, I started working in a lot more cocktail-centric bars and worked towards wonderful brands like PATRÓN. I do the same job as Stephanie but focus on the West region of the United States.
Z: Fantastic. Let’s start here when we talk about tequila cocktails. For anyone who hasn’t caught it, we previously ran a fantastic episode about the Margarita. So if you’re wondering why the Margarita is not getting mentioned here, it’s not because we somehow forgot about the most popular cocktail on the planet. It’s just because there’s so much else to dig into when it comes to tequila cocktails that we wanted to have a whole episode that we could really devote to them. I’m going to start with a question for both of you based on a cocktail that I had yesterday. It’s perhaps controversial that I like it better than a Margarita, and that’s the Paloma. So let’s start with this. If you’re someone who’s looking to make a Paloma, either at home or in a bar, what are the crucial elements to understand about that cocktail?
S: Egor, do you want to take this one? I know you have quite a passion for the Paloma.
E: Stephanie is so right. I think that the Paloma is one of the most underrated tequila drinks out there. Everyone loves a Margarita, but once you have several of those and it’s that time of night to switch around, or you are just trying to make a really nice and easy cocktail at home and you want to try something different, the Paloma is the way. Specifically, if you have a great bottle of tequila in your hands. So with PATRÓN, you can make Palomas with either PATRÓN Silver or with PATRÓN Reposado. And there’s no right or wrong way to do it. The Paloma has a rich history, it’s been around for quite a long time. But it is just now getting more and more popular. The creation of the Paloma essentially is tied to the times when grapefruit soda was invented. So we’re talking about the ’60s, ’70s, around that era. Once people figured out how to make grapefruit soda, we started seeing some traction. The Paloma was just a mix of tequila and grapefruit soda with a little bit of salt. Once the whole movement evolved into using much better spirits, way better-quality tequilas, people are now making Palomas with fresh grapefruit juice, agave, and fresh lime, and maybe topping it with either grapefruit soda or just soda water. There are several ways to do it, but you always need to make sure that you’re using really good-quality ingredients. That’s why we think that the Paloma with PATRÓN is an excellent example of a very well-made version of that cocktail. Steph, what’s your way to make a Paloma? I’m curious.
S: Personally, Egor, I prefer to make my Palomas with fresh grapefruit juice. I’m just such a fan of fresh grapefruit juice, in general. It’s my favorite of the citrus juices to drink, so I prefer making mine with fresh juice. And you know what, Zach? I have to agree with you. To your point, I am more of a fan of a Paloma than a Margarita. It might come as a surprise to everyone, but the Paloma is actually way more popular in Mexico than it is in the United States. While the Margarita really is king in the United States, the Paloma hasn’t caught on as much, and I think it’s our job to make sure that it does.
Z: I couldn’t agree more. I want to ask another question about the Paloma, and in particular about the grapefruit component. You alluded to the origins of the drink and that a classic spec for it would include grapefruit soda, either exclusively or at least as an addition on top of fresh grapefruit juice. While I can respect that there is history there, I think it’s also true that, as you said, Stephanie, the drink tastes better with fresh grapefruit juice just because you get the freshness and brightness. That said, I have occasionally run into issues when working with grapefruit juice. Out of all the citrus fruits, more than others, I’ve had really wild variations and sweetness of the juice. If you’re making this at home or you are a bartender listening to this, and I want both of your opinions on this, that if you’re making a Paloma, sometimes you don’t even need the additional sweetness agent. Definitely not if you’re adding grapefruit soda, not just soda water. With some grapefruit, I feel like I just get so much sweetness out of them, in addition to the tartness and the general grapefruit flavor. Is that something that either of you has come across?
S: I completely agree with you, Zach. That brings up a great point when it comes down to making cocktails in general. What we always touch on when we’re making our wide variety of amazing PATRÓN cocktails is to always taste your ingredients. Depending on where you’re sourcing your grapefruits from, they can have a completely different flavor. It also depends on how the season was that year. What was the weather like? There are a couple of different varieties of grapefruits, too. We see the pink grapefruit, and then there’s also the white grapefruit. Depending on the actual type of grapefruit that you’re using, you can get a totally different result. In addition to that, making a cocktail is always a really personal experience. If you’re making a drink at home, it’s up to you what you want your cocktail to taste like. If you’re making a delicious PATRÓN Paloma and you feel like your grapefruit juice is sweet enough for your palate, then I say go ahead and don’t add any sugar to it.
Z: I want to transition into what I would call the opposite of the Paloma, which is the Tequila Sunrise. It’s in the tequila and citrus realm. Can either of you sell me on that Tequila Sunrise? I’ve had to make them as a bartender before. I get it, they look cool. We’ve seen it, obviously, in cocktail culture over the last few years with even more emphasis on the visual appeal of drinks and social media. But is there a way to make this drink where it doesn’t kind of suck?
E: Let me take that. Stephanie and I were like, “Well, we need to talk about the Tequila Sunrise.” I told her that I think the Tequila Sunrise is great. It’s all about what you use in that drink, you know? Yes, I know that this drink is a typical cocktail of the disco era: 1970s, Harvey Wallbanger, Tequila Sunrise, they all come from that era. That’s when people did not care as much about the quality of ingredients. Now, we’re in a different era. Now we have all this great tequila to use, such as PATRÓN. Instead of buying a pasteurized or commercial orange juice, which is an essential part of the Tequila Sunrise, you can go out and squeeze some of that fresh orange juice. There is nothing better than a fresh-squeezed, fluffy orange juice mixed with great quality tequila. Just to balance some of that tartness that you get from the orange juice, especially from the fresh-squeezed one, you just pour a bar spoon of great quality grenadine or pomegranate syrup on top. Luckily, there are plenty of great options in that direction, too. If you go to a liquor store with a good selection of mixers, you’ll find something that uses natural cane sugar and natural fruit and things like that. Not all grenadine is basically made from artificial sweeteners and fake flavorings, right? So there are companies that put some time and effort into doing otherwise. It’s a perfect brunch cocktail to me. There’s nothing better than a really, really warm afternoon and you’re sitting outside and you have a PATRÓN Silver Tequila Sunrise with a fluffy orange juice and a float of grenadine for that sunrise effect that is good quality as well. Did I sell you yet?
Z: I gotta say, I’m getting more intrigued. I had forgotten about the fact that you actually can go get grenadine that isn’t just artificial flavors. I went through my Roy Rogers phase as a kid and haven’t thought about drinking grenadine in a long time. But that’s good to know because it’s true that when you have the vibrant and authentic flavor that you can get from actual pomegranate syrup, it definitely makes a difference in drinks.
E: It’s super easy to make at home as well. All you need is some fresh pomegranate. I can’t remember what month of the year they are grown.
Z: Winter is pomegranate season.
E: So you slice it in half, and then you turn around and you start pounding with the heaviest spoon in the back of it. And all the seeds fall off right in your container. To make the syrup, you just add equal parts of sugar and water and simmer it with some of those pomegranate seeds. 15-20 minutes later, strain it, and you have a great quality homemade grenadine.
Z: That’s awesome. I’m definitely doing that over the winter. I love the idea of being able to bring that level of quality to all the ingredients. I can just go buy the quality tequila in a store. I guess it sounds like I can go buy quality grenadine. But making it myself would be cool, too. I want to pause here for a moment, and at some point we will move into the category of tequila cocktails where we’re looking at more of the reposados and the añejos, something with a little bit more of that barrel influence. But let’s stick with the blanco and reposado realm. What are a couple of other cocktails that are classically made with tequila or alternatively, that people might be familiar with a different base spirit that either the silver or the reposado could be a really good substitute? Stephanie, do you have any ideas in mind? Any other great cocktails looking at these tequilas in particular?
S: Piggybacking on the whole brunch cocktail topic, one of my favorites to have with tequila subbed in for another spirit, which is usually vodka, is the Bloody Maria. I love the Bloody Maria with tequila. There are so many elements of this drink that I feel just pair so well with tequila, even more so than with vodka. The Bloody Maria has tomato in it, which is savory and a little bit citrusy. Which is amazing with tequila, that umami sort of flavor. In addition, you can add lots of spice and salt using a Tajin rim on the edge of your Bloody Maria. So for me personally, I will always choose tequila over vodka in that style of cocktail and have a Bloody Maria for brunch.
Z: Yes, I’m a big fan of Bloody Marys. When you’re thinking about assembling your mix, are there any ingredients that you would say, “I know I’m making this mix for Bloody Marias and I want to include these other ingredients?” Or do you just go with your standard Bloody Mary recipe and feel that the tequila accentuates more of the flavors?
S: Honestly, it depends on the mood that I’m in and the ingredients that I have on hand. I love using Mexican-inspired ingredients, of course. So again, I would choose a Tajin rim for my Bloody Maria rather than a celery salt or something like that. Also using hot sauces and things like that which are made in Mexico, versus something else. I love the Mexican chili flavor profile that you can add to that. I would definitely look at what ingredients I could add in there that touch back to the Mexican roots of the PATRÓN tequila that you’re using in the Bloody Maria and use that in the cocktail.
Z: Very cool.
E: To add to that, if somebody doesn’t know, Stephanie is an official queen of the hot sauces.
S: I am.
E: She literally carries one in her purse at all times. Wherever she’s traveled to, you can always rely on Stephanie to have a hot sauce.
Z: You and Hillary Clinton, if I recall correctly. Egor, do you have an example of a cocktail, either a classically tequila cocktail or something like the Bloody Maria where it’s a variant, where you think that the silver or even reposado would be a nice fit?
E: Yeah, for sure. Going back to the Bloody Mary/Bloody Maria scenario, you have to think about what your base spirit tastes like. We’re talking, for example, about PATRÓN Silver. So there’s a lot of citrus in that. There are already hints of black pepper. There’s already a slight hint of jalepeño in the flavor of tequila. So why would we go with the vodka when we’re trying to make a really perfect Bloody Mary? It’s way better and way more delicious to use PATRÓN silver in this particular drink. But also, tequila has a huge potential in what I call “tropicals” or tiki cocktails. One of the forgotten classics from the tequila world is called Pinky Gonzales. As a matter of fact, it’s also one of the first tequila drinks that were put in the cocktail books. You’ll find it in Trader Vic’s cocktail book, who was one of the founders of the whole tiki movement. The Pinky Gonzalez, essentially, is a Mai Tai but made with tequila.
Z: Oh, interesting.
E: Yeah. Silver would be my second choice. I would rather go with that reposado tequila. Our PATRÓN Reposado is a wonderful expression of that category that spends about four to six months in a variety of different casks and starts picking up a lot of tropical notes. For those reasons, I think it’s a perfect candidate to be used in a Mai Tai. The Mai Tai is also one of those drinks that have been pasteurized through the era of ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s when people start thinking that a Mai Tai is just a mixture of several different rums and a bunch of fruit juices. Which it’s not. A proper Mai Tai or Pinky Gonzales would be made with reposado tequila — a great-quality tequila like PATRÓN. Then you would try to find what’s called orgeat, which is a syrup made of almonds. It has a lot of nuttiness and gives another dimension to the drink. Then, you would use fresh citrus lime and a little bit of orange liqueur. All of that is basically a Mai Tai or a Pinky Gonzales if you are making it with tequila. Then you garnish it with a nice slice of orange and fresh mint.
Z: Very cool. I’m assuming that orgeat is a little harder to make at home than grenadine.
E: It’s possible. I’ve done that. I bet Stephanie has done that. But I don’t recommend it.
S: It depends on your comfort level in your kitchen and how much you like to experiment. I definitely think that if you feel confident in a kitchen and you’re really dedicated to your cocktails, go ahead and try it. But know a little bit about what you’re getting into before you get started on making it.
E: It’s not really that hard. You’ll just have to have a blender and a mesh strainer. It will take some time. You have to go and source orange flower water. That is a very important component of the orgeat. There are plenty of really, really good orgeats made in commercial kitchens that are basically handcrafted syrups. They’re the way to go, in my opinion. It’ll save you some time and some money, too.
Z: It might be worth it to pay someone else to make your Orgeat, in this case. Egor, you brought up a really interesting idea of tequila in some of these cocktails. In Tiki or tropical cocktails, we might see these white rums. Thinking of another classic cocktail in that vein, I don’t know if it’s technically considered a tiki cocktail, but something like a Mojito. You’re playing with lime, which we know pairs very well with tequila, but also mint for a little bit of sweetness. For people who want something that they can riff on that they might be familiar with and are more likely to have lime and mint at home, is that another avenue? Does something along those lines make sense for people to look at these classic white rum drinks?
S: I’m sorry, Egor. I have to jump in with a quick story on the Mojito and PATRÓN. It’s one of my favorite cocktails at this very notorious bar in Miami that’s known for its Cuban and rum-based cocktails. One of my favorite drinks to order there is a Roca Silver Mojito. I notice a lot of similarities when you talk about Roca PATRÓN and the tahona method and some of the flavor profiles that you get from this traditional process of making tequila. This kind of gives you the same funkiness and depth of flavor and the vegetal notes that you would find in something like a rhum agricole or a rum. In my opinion — and I know anyone that loves Mojitos and tropical drinks is probably going to kill me for saying this — but I absolutely love a Roca PATRÓN Silver Mojito made in a very traditional way. I think it’s just an absolutely gorgeous cocktail.
Z: Very cool. That one definitely sounds good on a cold winter day, I’ll be honest.
S: Oh, it’s so good. I’m craving it right now since I just talked about it.
Z: Excellent. I want to transition now into some uses for the aged tequilas in cocktails. We’ve covered some of the really classic and most well-known expressions or cocktails using silver and reposado tequilas that I think most listeners are going to be familiar with. For most people who get into tequila-based cocktails, it’s going to be through that lens. But one of the most exciting categories is, for me, this idea that all of these cocktails play on the wonderful synergy between the agave flavor that a young tequila has and the way that it develops through time and barrel. Then you look at that as a cocktail ingredient, in the same way that you would look at any other barrel-aged spirits. Let’s say someone wants to go out there, and the easiest way to do this is to just try making a tequila Old Fashioned. Stephanie, how would I do that? What are my ingredients and what’s my methodology here, if I want to make the best tequila Old Fashioned that I can?
S: First of all, I’d congratulate you on an excellent decision to make a Tequila Old Fashioned. I gotta get that out of the way first. It’s really a wonderful cocktail for mostly anyone to make at home because of its simplicity. I love really simple cocktails because they allow the base spirit to really shine. When you talk about PATRÓN and the amount of time and energy that we put into the traditional process of making tequila, showcasing that in something simple like an Old Fashioned is a really amazing combination. Essentially, an Old Fashioned has three ingredients. You have your base spirit, you have a sweetener, and then you have a bittering agent. Traditionally, you do something like Angostura bitters and then maybe a Demerara, which is basically an unrefined sugar syrup. You could use simple syrup as well. And you can use either the PATRÓN Reposado, Añejo, or even Extra Añejo, which would be delightful in this. It’s just about developing how you like your recipe, whether you want it to be a little bit sweeter or less sweet, and then adding a couple of dashes of bitters. Stir those, because when we’re making a cocktail that does not include citrus, we want to make sure to stir those ingredients. This is to really blend them together seamlessly and to have a really beautiful, velvety texture. Add in your PATRÓN Añejo, or Extra Añejo, or even Reposado if that’s more your speed. The garnish for something like this would generally be a light zest from your favorite citrus. It could be either lemon or potentially grapefruit or even orange. If I was using the añejo, I’d probably select something like an orange to pair really nicely.
Z: Very cool. When we’re thinking about this idea of subbing in tequila in place of whiskey in some of these classic whiskey cocktails, because I want to talk about Manhattan and Manhattan variants next, you’re dealing with some similarities in terms of the flavor profile. And obviously, whiskey is a big category where there’s lots of variation, too. But with tequila, and I’m curious if you both agree with this, it is important that you look at cocktails where we are not going to be masking the base spirit with a lot of other ingredients. That’s why I think that the Old Fashioned and Manhattan are great examples. Are there others that are great ways to showcase these aged tequilas without masking too much of their characteristics behind a lot of other ingredients?
E: You have to analyze what flavors, again, are in tequila itself. When we’re talking about reposado, as I mentioned, we like it to get a light hint of oak. When we’re talking about an añejo and extra añejo, the main flavors are driven by the oak, because tequila spends quite a bit of time in the wood and will start picking up a lot of those typical baking spices, vanilla, sawdust. Things that we associate with aged spirits like whiskey or brandy or Cognac or something like that. Based on that, you can start imagining what things you can substitute in what drinks. As you said, the Manhattan is a great candidate to swap whiskey, bourbon, rye, or whatever your preference is in the original version, to tequila. It makes the drink way more adventurous, with PATRÓN specifically. Our extra añejo is an excellent candidate for those types of things. For us, the extra añejo spends over three years in the barrel. And again, we use all types of barrels when we age that tequila: American casks, French oak, and Hungarian oak. All of that brings a huge complexity to the base spirit and makes it even more interesting than your typical whiskey or rye or something like that. Making a Manhattan with something like PATRÓN Añejo is almost like wowing yourself with this unusual and unexpected type of cocktail. Every time I say, “Oh, how about I make you a tequila Manhattan?” People just look at me like I’m crazy. No, that totally makes sense. There’s also one drink that I really, really love, and reposado is a perfect one for this. I’m a big fan of Negronis. It’s one of those drinks that either you either really love it or you cannot drink it at all. Most bartenders and people in our profession actually adore the Negroni. The drink has its own name, the Rosita. That drink has been around for a little bit and is less known than the Negroni. But to me, it’s more delicious. In a classic Negroni, you would go with something like a gin, a bitter, and vermouth, and you would stir it in an equal ratio. With the Rosita, you would substitute the gin for tequila, and I prefer to go with our reposado for that. The oak flavor gives it a little bit of an edge and makes it way more interesting. I would use something like a Martini bitter and sweet vermouth and stir it with the nice zest of grapefruit; it makes a delightful drink.
Z: I can imagine that being delicious. I’m a big fan of that formulation, be it a Negroni, a Rosita, whatever. I wanted to ask something. Stephanie, maybe you can help me with this a little bit. In this conversation, because both that Negroni or Rosita formulation, and also with something like a Manhattan using tequila, are you looking for slightly different characteristics in your vermouth than you might if you were making them with gin? In the case of the Negroni, or whiskey in the case of the Manhattan?
S: Absolutely. Vermouth is a very dynamic ingredient. Aside from just the most simple of differences, which is whether or not it’s a sweet, dry, or blanc vermouth, each vermouth has a really different flavor characteristic. If I was making something a little bit more rich and heavy, which is how I feel the tequila Manhattan might be, I might use the Martini & Rossi red sweet vermouth that is going to give it a little bit more weight. In regards to a Negroni, I might choose something more like French vermouth. Vermouth is such a dynamic category. Obviously, it’s made with all kinds of different herbs and different levels of sweetness, different levels of bitterness, and all that sort of stuff. I can’t even say that one style or type is better than the other. Definitely play around with different vermouths and see what you like the best. If you have more powerful vermouth, maybe you’re using that in the cocktail where the other ingredients aren’t as overwhelming and powerful, so they don’t fight with one another. Or, maybe you want that to be a stronger element? Or maybe the tequila that you’re using, like any of our Roca, is a little higher proof. So you need powerful vermouth to stand up to that. It’s a really dynamic ingredient in a cocktail. The only way to really figure out which one you like the best is trial and error, which is fun. Cocktail trial and error.
Z: It’s definitely a good way to get through an evening. I have one last question for both of you. Egor, let’s start with you. Obviously, there are many resources for people who want to find great tequila cocktails. But what is one more cocktail that we haven’t mentioned yet that you feel like your job would not be done if we didn’t talk about it for at least a moment?
E: I gotta cheat here. I can’t single out one; I have to go with two. Is that all right?
Z: Sure.
E: We were talking about PATRÓN Silver and the qualities of that tequila. There’s one drink that has almost become an official cocktail of West Texas; it’s called the Ranch Water. PATRÓN Silver Ranch Water is a very simple combination that is sweeping the nation with its popularity. It’s a mix of PATRÓN Silver, fresh lime juice, and topped with Mexican mineral water. Some people like to add a little bit of orange liqueur in it too, making it like a stretched-out fizzy version of a Margarita. But it’s delightful. It’s very light, it’s crisp, it’s clean. And again, it makes the quality of tequila, like PATRÓN, shine through that drink. It’s a great way to step up your game in making a simple, easily accessible cocktail at home. We’re all seeing that people are starting to drink things that are a little lighter in flavor. That trend is going on, so this is a perfect extension to that. The other one is a less specific drink. It’s one of the new tequilas that we just released. It’s a PATRÓN Sherry Cask Aged Añejo. Rather than thinking about a specific drink like a Manhattan or Old Fashioned — which are wonderful, by the way, with the Sherry Cask Aged Añejo — it’s more about trying that wonderful tequila that spends about two years in an oloroso sherry cask. Sherry, for those who are not familiar, is a very specific fortified wine that comes from a certain region in Spain. It has a wonderful complexity to it. We use the cask from oloroso sherry to age our tequila, so that becomes a very, very nice extension to our core tequilas and our aged portfolio. That tequila makes all kinds of delicious cocktails. For example, a really easy thing to do at home is Sherry Cask Añejo Cobbler. Sherry Cobbler is one of those drinks that’s been around for a long time, and many people might be hesitant when they hear the word Sherry Cobbler. It sounds like a disco drink from the ’70s or something, right? But it’s actually not. You just skip the sherry and go straight to sherry cask aged tequila, add a little bit of that fresh orange juice and fresh pineapple juice, maybe a touch of ginger syrup, and serve it over crushed ice if you have access. If not, regular ice is just fine. And then you can garnish it with fresh berries and mint. We’re talking about those brunch patio cocktails, that’s an excellent one. So sorry I couldn’t single out the one.
Z: That’s OK. Stephanie, I guess I have to give you the option to pick two if you so choose.
S: I will pick one cocktail that I really enjoy. And that’s also a cocktail that is very similar to the Pinky Gonzales that Egor mentioned earlier. It’s my favorite tequila cocktail, and that is the Infante. It’s also fairly simple. It does involve orgeat, whether you make it at home or you buy a pre-made one that’s made really well with really great-quality ingredients. It’s almost like a Margarita, but instead of having a different kind of sweetener or Citrónge, it actually uses the orgeat. I recommend using PATRÓN Silver in this cocktail, some orgeat, a little orange flower water in that as well, some fresh lime juice, and a little bit of nutmeg grated on top. A really fun way to add variation to this cocktail is to add a different fruit syrup to it. You could do a strawberry or even a pomegranate Infante and add a couple of different fruit elements to it. That’s really delicious. It’s almost an unexpected holiday cocktail because when you think about it, you’re using ingredients like orgeat, which has that almond flavor to it, and then a little grated nutmeg on top, which just pairs so perfectly with the fresh agave flavors in PATRÓN Tequila. It’s like, “Oh, wait, a second, is this a holiday cocktail?” It’s so refreshing, and it doesn’t necessarily have all the typical holiday ingredients. But at the same time, that almond and nutmeg definitely give you a little bit of those holiday vibes. I would say the Infante is very much my favorite PATRÓN tequila cocktail right now.
Z: Also it has the benefit of, presumably, being less filling than eggnog.
S: Yes, exactly.
E: We forgot to mention that we’re calling out all those wonderful recipes and a lot of really cool facts about our tequila. We actually have an amazing resource where listeners could go and check out all this. We put together a cocktail website that’s called CocktailLab.com. There are tons of classic tequila drinks, contemporary versions of those drinks, and some very unusual creative ideas for all your needs. You can filter the drinks by the occasion or by the flavor. If the holidays are coming up, filter them by the occasion and you’ll get all sorts of holiday-inspired drinks.
[Check out PATRÓN’s Tequila Cocktail Lab here!]
Z: Awesome. We’ll definitely include that in the description. You said that’s CocktailLab.com?
E: Yes, absolutely.
Z: Fantastic. Stephanie and Egor, thank you so much for your time, both of you. It can’t be 5 p.m. soon enough where I am, but I look forward to the mixing and shaking and stirring up a whole range of exciting and novel tequila cocktails. Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
S: Thank you so much, Zach.
E: Thank you so much.
