Sin Away; It’s Fat Tuesday

“Laissez Les Bons Temps Roulez”

When we think of Mardi Gras, we see gold, purple, and green. And we think of, yes let’s say it, debauchery. Fat Tuesday is the English translation of mardi gras, the final day of the festive celebration of excess before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday (a period of fasting and penance.) So, before Lent rears its head, let’s indulge in some hedonism, starting with cocktails from Barmaster Austin Mendez at Messhall in Los Angeles.

Mendez’s offerings are grouped under the heading of the Seven Deadly Sins — Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Envy, Wrath and Pride. “What better time to salute the Seven Deadly Sins, than Mardi Gras,” says Mendez.

“We’ve taken some old favorites and added some modern ingredients to give them a modern spin.”

Mendez generously offered up his recipes (including three twists on Gluttony, he says, “well, because it’s Gluttony”), so that you can indulge your decadent side. Start with the cocktails. The rest is up to you.

Lust: The Fatal Attraction

Ingredients:

• 3/8 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
• 3/8 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1 oz. Blood Orange Syrup
• 1/4 oz. Elderberry Liqueur
• 1/4 oz. Campari
• 1 1/2 oz. Gin (Mendez uses Ford’s)
• Splash of Champagne

Preparation: Mix first six ingredients in a tin. Shake long and hard. Pour into a large coupe and top with champagne.

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Sloth: The Silent Killer

Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
• 3/4 oz. Ginger Syrup
• 1/4 oz. Crème de Peche
• 2 oz. Rum (Mendez uses Flor de Cana)
• Club Soda
• Lime Wheel, for Garnish
• Candied Ginger, for Garnish

Preparation: Mix all ingredients except club soda in tin and dry shake. Add to a collins glass with Kold-Draft (or other high quality) ice. Top with soda. Garnish with lime wheel and candied ginger.

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Greed: Negroni in Drag

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Gin
• 3/4 oz. Cocchi Rosa
• 1/2 oz. Gran Classico
• Dashes peach bitters
• Lemon twist, for Garnish

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and stir. Pour into a small coupe and garnish with a lemon twist.

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Envy: Pasado de Moda

• 2 oz. Mezcal
• Bar Spoon Agave Syrup
• 2-3 Dashes Mole Bitters
• Grapefruit Twist , Flamed, for Garnish

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a double old fashioned glass and stir with a large rock. Garnish with flamed grapefruit twist.

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Wrath (of Ko)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• 3/4 oz. Velvet Falernum
• 3/4 oz. Cocchi Rosa
• 3/4 oz. Lime Juice

Preparation: Add all in ingredients in a tin filled with ice. Shake long and hard. Pour into small coupe.

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Pride (with liberal amounts of prejudice)

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Isle of Skye Scotch
• 3/4 oz. Meletti
• 1/2 oz. Poli Miele Honey Liqueur
• Dash of Angostura Bitters
• Dash of Peychaud’s Bitters
• Lemon Twist, for Garnish

Preparation: Add all ingredients to mixing glass, stir, and then pour into small coupe. Garnish with lemon twist.

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Gluttony #1

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Ancho Reyes
• 1 oz. Rum
• 1/2 oz Averna
• Squirt of Hershey’s syrup
• Whole egg
• Agave-Snap Crème (flavored to taste, with agave syrup and Art in the Age ‘Snap’.)

Preparation: Mix ingredients (except crème) into a mixing tin, dry shake (whip), then do a long and hard shake. Pour into a collins glass with crushed ice, top with whipped cream, and a brandied cherry.

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Gluttony #2

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Mezcal
• 1/2 oz. Amaro Abano
• 3/4 oz. Banana Liqueur
• 1 oz. Strawberry/Sugar Purée (strawberry and evaporated cane sugar)
• Whole egg
• Agave-Snap Crème (flavored, to taste, with agave syrup and Art in the Age ‘Snap’), for Garnish.
• Strawberry, for Garnish

Preparations: Mix ingredients (except crème and strawberry) into mixing tin, dry shake (whip), then ong and hard shake. Pour into collins glass with crushed ice, top with crème and strawberry.

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Gluttony #3

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Bourbon
• 3/4 oz. Vanilla Liqueur
• 1/4 oz. Ginger Snap Liqueur
• Whole egg
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup
• Agave-Snap Crème (flavored, to taste, with agave syrup and Art in the Age ‘Snap’), for Garnish.
• Candied Ginger, for Garnish

Preparation: Mix ingredients (except crème and ginger) into mixing tin, dry shake (whip), then do a long and hard shake. Pour into a collins glass with crushed ice, top with crème and candied ginger.

To get a live look in to the celebrations at Mardi Gras this year, CLICK HERE