Never let it be said that Toasted Glass would miss out on a cocktail opportunity and despite having no Latino connections whatsoever and only a rudimentary grasp of Spanish, Mr TG and I decided to embrace with open arms, the alcoholic potential of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
That is the beauty of Cinco de Mayo (or 5th of May to those whose Spanish is even more rudimentary than mine own) - although deeply rooted in history and marking the date in 1862 of the remarkable Mexican victory over Napoleon's invading French army at the Battle of Puebla, it has become a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. Although only observed as an official holiday in the State of Puebla in Mexico, it is celebrated across Mexico and the United States, having grown in popularity over the years as the Latino population expanded. In the 1980's, beer company marketeers spotted an opportunity to make a fast buck and brought the celebration to the masses making it so high profile that in 2005, US Congress lobbied to have the date observed across the American States with appropriate cultural ceremonies - cue the mariachi bands, tortilla chip sombreros and tequila....
Across the world, there are Cinco de Mayo celebrations to be had, particularly in the capitals and major cities, but if you can't make it to one of those, why not get in the spirit of things and knock up a few inspired cocktails at home... Margaritas are always a popular choice, but having fairly exhausted their potential in previous posts (click here for some alternative Margarita recipes), it was time to don the thinking sombrero and come up with something new...
Cinco de Mayo
2oz silver tequila
2oz freshly pressed watermelon juice
2cm round of cucumber peeled and cubed
Sliver of birds eye chilli
Dash of simple syrup
Wedge of fresh lime
To begin, make the fresh watermelon juice by pressing a few cubes through a sieve and collecting the liquid - discard the seeds and pulp.
Add the tequila and cucumber to the bottom of a shaker and gently muddle (squish). The idea is not to liquify the cucumber so don't worry if it stays fairly whole - the flavour will leech out.
Pour in the watermelon juice and add the sliver of chilli and a dash of simple syrup.
Squeeze the wedge of lime into the shaker and discard the pith and peel.
Shake hard with ice until the outside of the shaker has a frosty bloom and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Beergarita
1oz silver tequila
1oz triple sec
1oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Tiny pinch of salt flakes
Mexican beer to top up (we used Corona)
Add the tequila, triple sec, lime juice and salt to a shaker with ice and shake hard.
Strain into a highball with ice and top up with a light Mexican beer such as Sol or Corona and stir gently to mix.
This next drink is an adaptation of a Mojito, using silver tequila in place of rum and with the addition of a little fresh raspberry which not only adds to the flavour but creates a magnificent colour.
Raspberry Tequito
2oz silver tequila
6 raspberries
8-10 mint leaves
1oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2oz simple syrup
Sparkling water to top up.
To begin, press the raspberries through a sieve with the back of a spoon, collecting the juice in the bottom of the shaker and discarding the pulp and seeds.
Add the tequila and mint and gently swish to release the essential mint oils - don't overdo it or the flavour becomes 'grassy'.
Add the lime juice and simple syrup with a handful of ice and shake hard for about 20 secs.
Strain (or double strain if you don't want any bits of mint floating) into an ice filled highball glass and top with a little sparking water.
Stir gently to mix.
No Cinco de Mayo celebration would be complete without a nod to the Micheleda, the Mexican beer cocktail that has many variations that range from the simple addition of lime and salt to more complex variations involving chilli, clam juice, tomato and worcester sauce. Never ones to shy away from the complex, this TG Micheleda chucks it all in the mix, (bar the clam juice as Mr TG didn't fancy that much) and despite our reservations, it turned out to be delicious, not too mention relatively innocuous in terms of alcohol.
TG Micheleda
1/2 (33cl) bottle of Corona
1oz tomato juice
1/2oz freshly squeezed lime juice
Pinch of salt flakes
Dash of Worcester Sauce
Sliver of birdseye chilli
Fresh ground black pepper
Add all of the ingredients to a shaker with ice and stir to combine until the outside of the shaker frosts over.
Strain gently into a tumbler and garnish with a lime wheel.
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