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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/43865
Some bar managers are playing off their guests' desires to try new things and the natural addictive quality of the spice in the hopes of increasing their bottom line. CAUTION: HEAT INDEX Using peppers may be trendy, but there is defi nitely a fi ne line to what is really too much. "It's really about the balance: you don't want to burn someone's palate," says Merino, who has been asked by customers to make some cocktails spicier. "A good drink has a heat that is well balanced." Th e Alma Blanca, priced $12 to $13, served at Tequilas Restaurant in Philadelphia, is made with muddled corn, hoja santa (herbsaint), Habanero- infused Siembra Azul Blanco, Dainzu aloe vera-lemongrass syrup, lemon and pineapple juices and Domaine de Canton. Poggemeyer cautions that the alcohol in cocktails tends to exacerbate the hot fl avor. "If you just put a couple of crazy hot peppers into a drink —say as an infusion—it will be very hot," he notes. Instead he muddles the spicy peppers and double strains before serving. For example, the Pineapple Jalapeño Caiprinha (priced at $10.25), served at Eleven, a cocktail bar that serves small plates, in Columbus, Ohio, is made with muddled fresh Jalapeño and pineapple with Leblon cachaca, lime juice and simple syrup. Carducci agrees, "Getting the heat levels right is a very delicate dance—one I have mastered over the years with several 'missteps.'" He spent time experimenting with various kinds of chiles to gauge the heat and fl avor profi les. "Some are earthy, while others are fruity," he says. "Learning this is key to pairing them with complimentary fl avors." "I also learned how to train people on how to muddle a Serrano Chile into a cocktail without it being too hot. Th ey are organic products, but there are tricks you can deploy to get a reasonable amount of heat," explains Carducci. In the Little Market ($11) cocktail, Carducci mixes Espolon Reposado Tequila, fresh pineapple and lime juice, guajillo chile syrup, and Yucateca green habanero sauce, served in a Pico Pequin-rimmed glass. Vincenzo Marianella, bartender at Copa D'Oro, a single- location cocktail bar, in Santa Monica, California, agrees that you need to use spicy peppers in moderation. "We stay on the mild side, so we can add more spiciness," he explains. "If there is too much fi re in the cocktail, you can't take it away." For example, his King de Bahia, is made with Sagatiba Cachaça, St. Germain, passion fruit and Jalapeño Peppers. CHOOSING THE RIGHT PEPPER Bartenders also note that is it really important to try to choose the correct pepper to pair with every drink. Carducci says that the decision on what pepper to use depends on whether or not he's looking for fl avor or just heat. "Th e green Habanero Sauce, for example, adds a little acidity with the heat." He uses a pinch of cayenne powder in drinks to give the perception of heat without the fl avor. www.cheersonline.com OCTOBER 2011 | 37 In his Dizzy Oaxacan, Carducci mixes Sombra Mezcal, Averna Amaro, grapefruit and lemon juice, simple syrup, ginger beer and ground cayenne. Meanwhile, Poggemeyer uses Jalapeño Peppers because they are readily available—and "if you get anything hotter, it's overwhelming." Merino has also experimented with some 80 diff erent types of peppers and sauces when thinking about adding heat. He uses Chamoy sauce in the El Merino ($12 to $13), served at Casa Mezcal, which mixes the sauce with green mango juice, orange and lime juice, Dainzu hibiscus syrup, Royal Combier and Siembra Azul Reposado. HOT APPEAL Th ere's no denying that peppers in cocktails are hot–but they are also popular with bar crowd, who are attracted to the addictive quality of the spice. "Spicy cocktails give an endorphin rush that gives people a buzz. It's sort of addictive," says Poggemeyer. "As you get a taste for it, you have to get more—and get hotter and hotter to get the same feeling." And customers are defi nitely intrigued. Murray Stenson, former senior bartender at the Zig Zag Café in Seattle, who is currently consulting, created a cocktail with Tabasco Sauce about fi ve years ago that continues to be popular to this day. Th e Hot Charlotte is made with diced cucumber,Tabasco sauce, Hendrick's Gin, St. Germain Elderfl ower Liqueur and lemon juice. "People sitting at the bar that see this cocktail being made are intrigued by it," Stenson says. "Th e cool thing The Dizzy Oaxacan is a mix of Sombra Mezcal, Averna Amaro, grapefruit and lemon juice, simple syrup, ginger beer and ground cayenne pepper.