30/30, #12: Flor de Jalisco

While most of the online coverage I’ve seen regarding the new Food & Wine 2009 Cocktail Guide has been in relation to Eric Felten’s excellent Wall Street Journal piece, “A Welcome Sign of Vodka’s Decline” (though Anita also gives a good rundown of the book over at Married…With Dinner), I thought I’d dip into the book in search of some good recipes.

I only started picking up the Food & Wine Cocktails series a couple of years ago, so I don’t have much of a long-term perspective on how the drinks have changed over the years. But what I do find appealing is the way the current book is organized, with some themed chapters arranged by individual bartenders — such as the Aperitif section from Jamie Boudreau and the Seasonal Drinks section from Todd Thrasher — while other chapters were compiled by Jim Meehan and include drinks both classic and modern from a range of different bartenders and approaches to mixology.

I’ve already gone through the book and tagged a number of promising recipes with Post-It notes; here’s one that caught my eye: the Flor de Jalisco. Included in the Latin Drinks chapter that was arranged by Death & Co. bartender Joaquin Simo, this original cocktail by Simo is somewhat similar to another drink I really enjoy, Jamie’s Marmalade Sour. A basic tequila sour with a citrusy twist, the Flor de Jalisco seems like the kind of cocktail that’s inventive enough to appeal to a crowd of discriminating drinkers, yet easy enough to construct so it could be cranked out in quantity.

Flor de Jalisco

  • 2 ounces blanco tequila
  • 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 ounce agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon orange marmalade

Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake well with ice. Strain into chilled coupe glass and garnish with an orange twist.

I used Milagro blanco, because they recently sent me a sample and I wanted to give it a test drive. I can see some real potential in this drink; when I make it again (and it’s good enough to break out a few more times), I might try using lime instead of lemon (though maybe I’m stuck in that tequila = lime mindset), along with a slightly larger dose of marmalade, as its rich citric jamminess is somewhat obscured by the acid from the lemon juice.

Anyone give this a try? Let me know what you think–

This drink is part of 30/30, a series of 30 drinks in 30 days — or as much as I can keep up before collapsing in a weary, booze-addled heap.

9 Responses to 30/30, #12: Flor de Jalisco

  1. Never in a million years would I think to put MARMALADE in a drink, but the more I think about it, the thirstier mama gets! Can’t wait to try this!

  2. Sounds like an interesting drink at the very least. Milagro Blanco has been on sale around here for a somewhat ridiculous price for 100% agave tequila lately–any opinions on it?

    Really enjoying this series, great to see a return to drinks writing from my favorite blog.

  3. Oh, I’d try this with a mezcal to see how the smokiness works against the marmalade. If I get a chance to do this myself, I will. I’ve got some Del Maguey Minero lurking about.

  4. I’ve got friends with a bottle of home-infused hibiscus tequila, which seems like a perfect fit for this. It already has a sort of tart punchiness on its own.

  5. flor de jalisco?
    ok,
    i have had a variation of this drink many times made by different friends of mine,
    a “Morning Margarita”.

    With no set recipe one can simply add the marmalade in to their favourite recipe for a Margarita.

    Mine is

    60ml tequila blanco
    15ml lime juice
    15ml lemon juice
    15ml agave syrup
    2 T-spoons of marmalade.
    gets a nice lemon, lime and orange balance…

  6. ditched the marmelade and used a heavy dash of Xocolatl Mole Bitters. AWESOME! and well balanced. Would be unreal with a 1/2 oz chichicapa and 1 1/2 teq… thanks for the post!

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