Must Mix: Día De Los Muertos Cocktails

Whip up a glass (or a few) of these festive cocktails to celebrate Day of the Dead!

Running from November first to second, Day of the Dead is both a cultural and religious holiday celebrated in Mexico. In many other Catholic countries you’ll find similar celebrations under the name of All Souls Day or All Saints Day. In Mexico, the celebrations are bold, bright, and beautiful tributes to the memories of lost friends and loved ones. The holiday has always been an national symbol and has incredible historical and cultural significance.

Analogue in NYC

Otoño Sangría

Otoño Sangría 

Recipe by Head Bartender Lana Vesselova

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Hiatus Tequila Blanco
• 1 oz. Blood orange Juice
• 1 oz. Orange Juice
• 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
• 1 oz. Red wine floater

Preparation: Build all ingredients in a shaker tin. Top off with ice, then shake hard for roughly 10-15 seconds until the outside of the tin begins to frost over. Strain into a highball filled with ice or a wine glass. Top off with a float of red wine. Garnish with a dehydrated wheel of blood orange.

Campo Viejo Sour

Campo Viejo Sour

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Campo Viejo Garnacha
• 2 oz. tequila reposado
• 1 oz. cinnamon syrup*
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice

Preparation: Combine tequila, cinnamon syrup, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled and pour into a glass. Float about 1 ounce of Campo Viejo Garnacha on top.

*Cinnamon Syrup

Combine 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add 2 cinnamon sticks and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the cinnamon steep for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture into a glass container and let cool.

Patent Pending in NYC

Jalisco Flip

Jalisco Flip

Recipe by Bartenders Nick Ruiz and Kitty Bernardo

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz. Hiatus Tequila Reposado
• 3/4 oz. Averna
• 1/2 oz. Cane
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• 1 Whole Egg

Preparation: Build all ingredients in a small shaker tin and shake vigorously without ice for 15 seconds, or until all ingredients are completely emulsified. Add ice and shake vigorously for another 15 minutes, or until outside of the tin begins to frost over. Double strain into a Georgian Tea Glass and garnish with a few drops of angostura bitters. then drag a toothpick or a garnishing skewer through the bitters to make hearts.

The Cider Skull Sangria

The Cider Skull Sangria 

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of Campo Viejo Tempranillo
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 3 oz. brandy
• 2 honey crisp apple, sliced, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 2 cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1 star anise, plus more for garnish (optional)

Preparation: Add all ingredients into a large pitcher and star to combine. Cover pitcher and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. Fill glasses with ice then pour sangria over top. Garnish with cinnamon sticks, star anise, and apple slices, if desired, and serve.

*Cinnamon Sugar Rim

Stir together 1/2 tsp. cane sugar, 1/2 cinnamon and pinch of salt on a dish. Wet the rim of the glasses by running a slice of lemon around each one. Dip the rims into the mixture and then fill the glasses with Sangria.

Smoke Break

Smoke Break

Recipe by Bartenders Nick Ruiz and Kitty Bernardo

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Hiatus Tequila Blanco
• 3/4 oz. Grapefruit Juice
• 3/4 oz. Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz. Chipotle Syrup (2:1)
• 3 dashes Xocolatl Mole Bitters
• 1 Cinnamon Stick

Preparation: Add all ingredients to a shaker. Top off with ice, shake for 10-15 seconds. Double strain into rocks glass or goblet with one large ice cube. Garnish with torched cinnamon stick.