February shouldn’t have you or your shoppers curled up under a blanket, bemoaning the chill of a winter day. Instead, you should be getting them ready to make a drink that burns, burns, burns the wintertime blues away.
As you may have already guessed, this drink is not for the faint of heart. For those of us looking for something a little spicy, a little challenging, and more than a little daring, the Ring of Fire is here to awaken our minds and ensnare the senses. So, buckle up that inner mixologist, and prepare to have your socks knocked off.
Imbibing this cocktail will take your tastebuds on a rollercoaster of flavor. Smoky, sweet, tangy, and just the right amount of spicy, the Ring of Fire knows just how to keep you coming back for more. The spice of the Thai Bird’s eye chilies interwoven with the sweet tartness of the pineapple and lime makes for a sip that is sure to be remembered. Combine that with the smokiness of the Mezcal and the additional heat of the Togarashi spice mix, and you’ve got a drink that will leave everyone speechless.
Not only is the Ring of Fire delicious, it’s a delight on the eyes: that millennial pink color has ‘snap it for the ’Gram’ written all over it.
INGREDIENTS
1 oz Mezcal
0.5 oz aged Cachaça and Aperol
1 lime
2 Thai Bird’s eye chilies
1 fresh ginger
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Pineapple slices (for garnish)
Togarashi Mix (for garnish)
Servings: 2 cocktails
DIRECTIONS
1 Measure 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely. Add rings of Thai Bird’s eyes chilies and ginger and let simmer for 5-10 min. Set aside to cool.
2 Pour Mezcal, aged Cachaça, and Aperol over ice into a cocktail shaker.
3 Add the juice of half a lime, 2 oz of the simple syrup, and shake for 10 seconds.
4 Pour into two glasses and garnish with sticks of pineapple and a sprinkling of Togarashi mix.
