Sunday, July 19, 2020

charo's kick

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Lunazul)
1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio)
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Orgeat
2 bsp Crème de Menthe (1/4 oz Tempus Fugit)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe; I later found a recipe that included a lemon twist and I feel that a floated mint leaf would not be out of place here.

Two Sundays ago, I decided to make a recipe that I had noted previously on Imbibe Magazine called the Charo's Kick. The recipe published in 2015 was attributed to Justin Lane Briggs at Faro in Brooklyn shortly after the restaurant opened, and it seemed to be the agave take of Cameron's Kick from Harry MacElhone's 1922 Harry's ABCs of Mixing Cocktails with the addition of crème de menthe. After making the drink, I did a little research and uncovered an entry in the Kindred Cocktails database that declared that it had been invented by Anthony Schmidt in 2010 at the Noble Experiment in San Diego without the minty element. A discussion ensued, and I soon found a 2015 article in the Village Voice where Briggs gave credit to Schmidt for his take on the Cameron's Kick. Moreover, Briggs was rather impressed by the result, tinkered, and found that crème de menthe added another layer of complexity that worked with all the ingredients; he declared, "There's nothing really more refreshing than mint and citrus together. If I ever wonder what to make someone and I have a drink that combines those two, I can make that and they'll be happy."
The Charo's Kick with the menthe welcomed the nose with a nutty, lemon, and smoke aroma with a hint of mint. Next, a creamy and lemon sip swung into a smoky agave and earthy swallow with a light minty finish.

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