Make two new friends this week (photo courtesy Ellie Sara Groden.)
Today marks the unofficial opening of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and I’ll drink to that! TGHG Beverage Director Ryan Goodspeed appropriately anticipated the needs of guests new and old descending on Miami this week for the country’s largest culinary festival, in high spirits of course, and last night put the Bandito and Scotsman on the @MGFD_MIA specialty cocktail list, with more additions coming today. Ellie and I tasted these two last night and gave them high marks for balance, simplicity, and overall good taste. Here’s how they break down:
Bandito
This cocktail sneaks up on you like a bandito! And attacks!
2 oz Don Julio Reposado
1 oz Poblano/Cubanelle Agave
1 oz Passionfruit
1 oz Pineapple
½ oz Lemon
Combine ingredients in a rocks glass, add ice and shake.
Garnish w/ pineapple spear or chunk if available
Scotsman
Named after Colin Scott, master blender at Chivas
2 ½ oz Chivas 12yr or 18yr
1 oz Espresso infused orange blossom honey
(3 shots of espresso stirred into one bottle of local orange blossom honey)
½ oz lemon
Top with soda
Combine scotch, honey and lemon. Add ice shake and top w/soda
Garnish with lemon peel and dash orange bitters
Hope to see you in the restaurant for some toasts over the next few days. Here’s where we’ll be outside it, too:
