This is going to be the year of savory cocktails, and that trend has arrived in force with cilantro cocktails for spring. Whether you’re a lover of its fresh, fragrant flavor or you are regrettably one of the poor souls for whom it tastes like soap, cilantro is having a moment in the world of cocktails.
The most obvious choice of spirit to mix with cilantro might be tequila, given the shared Mexican flavors of both, but bartenders are experimenting beyond this by adding cilantro flavors to spirits as diverse as sotol, cahaça, and shochu. If you’d like to try this trend out for yourself and you’re feeling ambitious, then three bars have shared their cilantro-centric cocktail recipes below.
Star Treatment
Available at Dear Strangers (New York, NY)
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Casa Lotos Sotol
- 1 oz Green Dragon (Cilantro, Lemongrass, Coriander seeds, Markut lime leaf, Ginger)*
- 0.5 oz Fluffy Pineapple juice
- 0.25 oz Coconut milk
- 0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Garnish: Fresh Makrut lime leaf
Glassware: Fancy Collins glass
Method:
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice, and shake vigorously for 10 seconds—strain into a prepared, chilled glass and top with pebble ice. Garnish with a fresh Makrut lime leaf.
Green Dragon*
1 qt Lemongrass Syrup**
5 kaffir lime leaves
10 cilantro bunches with stem
1 dry red chili
Method: Place all ingredients into VITAMIX. Blend, fine strain and store.
Lemongrass Syrup**
1 qt sugar
16 oz water
2 lemongrass sticks
5 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Method: Cut the lemongrass in half and smash it. Place everything in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
El Nopal
Available at Midnight Rambler at The Joule
- 1.5 oz iichiko Silhouette Barley Shochu
- 1.5 oz Prickly Pear-Coriander Liqueur*
- 1 oz Nopales Cilantro Water*
- 0.25 oz Citrus solution
Glassware: Coupe
Method: Thrown
Prickly Pear-Coriander Liqueur*
500 ml Perfect Puree Prickly Pear
375 ml Coriander infused vodka
95 g sugar
6 g citric acid
Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until sugar is completely dissolved. Label, date and store in the fridge.
Nopales-Cilantro Water (ice clarified)*
1000g Nopales
75g cilantro (stems and leaves)
500ml water
5g malic acid
Directions: First, cut nopales pads into strips for easier blending later. Prepare cut nopales and cilantro by setting them in an ice bath for 10-15 minutes. Blanch cilantro before blending. Blend cilantro, water, cut nopales and malic acid together until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Blend in batches if necessary. Transfer mixture to vacuum seal bags, label, date, and freeze overnight or until completely frozen. Next, defrost inside the bags to begin the ice clarification process. The ice crystals that form help break down the plant cells and increase the yield. Once the mixture is completely defrosted, use a coffee-filter-lined strainer to finish the clarification process. Label and date and store in the fridge.
Sergeant Pepper
Available at NoMad London
Ingredients:
- 30 ml Avua Prata Cahaça (Brazilian spirit)
- 20 ml Verdita (green sangrita)*
- 15 ml Jalapeno-infused Tequila**
- 15 ml Agave Syrup
- 15 ml Lime Juice
- 10 ml Dolin Génépi le Chamois Liqueur
- 10 ml Pineapple Juice
- 5 drops Saline Solution
Glass: Coupe
Method:
Add ingredients into a shaker, shake with ice until chilled,and double strain into a coupe glass.
Verdita*
1/4 bunch of Coriander Stems
1/2 bunch of Mint
240 grams Pineapple Chunks
250 ml Pineapple Juice
250 ml Honeydew Juice
60 ml Lime Juice
8 seeded Jalapenos
1 tsp Maldon Salt
1 tsp crushed Black Pepper
Method: Measure out all ingredients and blend together until combined. Strain, then bottle.
Jalapeno Infused Tequila**
5 Medium Jalapeños, diced
25 oz/750 ml Blanco Tequila
Steep the jalapeños and tequila in a container for 5 minutes. Taste the mixture to ensure that the spice level is to your taste. Allow to steep longer for a spicier end product. Strain out the jalapeños when the desired spice level has been reached. Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate indefinitely.
