Because my favorite holiday isn’t the same this year–or even within 100 miles of being the same!–I’m turning my Halloween talents to dealing with the spirits of an alcohol-related nature.
Here are some local concoctions sure to make you see witchy behaviors! Plus the recipes, so you can stir up some tasty trouble at home.
La Fogata’s Zesty Rambutan
924 Northlake Blvd, North Palm Beach; 561/848-6565; https://lafogatamenu.com
A Tex-Mex restaurant is the perfect place for anything tequila, and the bar at this North Palm Beach venue has Espanita Artisanal tequila. Created in 2017, this spirit has both beautiful bottles and great flavors.
I found the following recipe that makes an impressive Day of the Dead cocktail with the Blanco version, a crisp, clean tequila. The Reposado tequila tastes like a warm sunray as a result of six months of oak cask aging. And there’s an Anejo, which is aged in charred oak barrels. An interesting tidbit about Espanita tequila: The brand ambassador is Pitbull!
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Espanita Blanco Tequila
- 6-7 Rambutan fruits
- 1-2 Jalapeño slices, seeds removed
- 0.25 oz fresh Ginger juice
- 1 oz triple sec
- 1 Tbsp frozen concentrated Limeade
Garnish:
- Lemon wheel
Preparation:
- Grate a piece of ginger and squeeze the juice out. Measure 0.25 oz in a jigger.
- Peel the skins from rambutans, remove the seeds and slice the fruit.
- Place sliced rambutan flesh and jalapeño slices in a Boston shaker and muddle. Add Espanita Blanco tequila, fresh ginger juice, triple sec, limeade and a handful of ice.
- Shake vigorously and strain through the fine mesh strainer into a cocktail glass filled with fresh ice.
Bonefish Grill‘s Spooky Smoked Old-Fashioned
Bonefish Grill, all locations: Their Halloween special is a Spooky Smoked Old-Fashioned with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Angostura bitters and Bordeaux cherry smoked with oak. Prices start at $12.90.
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
- .5 oz. Simple Syrup of choice
- 1 Bordeaux Cherry
- 2 dashes Bitters
- Other recommended materials: Smoker, torch & oak chips, rocks & snifter glass
Procedure:
- Stir ingredients with ice 10x’s and strain over large ice cube in a rocks glass
- Add oak chips to Smoker and torch to fill glass with smoke.
- Cap glass with snifter to capture the smoke and allow oak flavors to mix with the old fashioned.
- Uncap your cocktail and enjoy!
Chotto Matte Miami’s “Vampire Ritual”
Chotto Matte Miami, 1666 Lenox Ave., Miami Beach; https://chotto-matte.com/miami/
Here’s a drink that’s “powerful, fruity with a bite.” An appropriate Halloween potion!
Passion fruit purée and distinctive raspberry Chambord liqueur balance La Adelita tequila Reposado’s edgy texture, rounded out with tart lime juice.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz La Adelita Tequila Reposado
- 0.5 oz of Chambord Liqueur
- 0.75 oz passion fruit
- 0.5 oz lime juice
- 0.75 oz agave
- 2 Filthy Black Cherries
- 1 lemon twist
Procedure:
- Add all ingredients to shaker
- Shake well and pour over rock glass with one large ice cube
- Garnish with two Filthy Black Cherries and lemon twist
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