Drink This – Hey, Hermano

“Hermano is the Spanish word for ‘brother’ – a fact that neither Michael nor Gob knew when they were tracking down the elusive man they believed was named Hermano. Turns out, Marta was interested in Gob’s hermano – Michael.” 

The Drink: I (Caroline) was inspired by Proof and Provision‘s Retox cocktail. I didn’t try it while I was there, but I wrote down the listed ingredients thinking it would be interesting to make at home. That being said, I have no idea if this cocktail tastes anything like their Retox, but will be going back soon to find out. Ours definitely has a perfectly balanced sweet and sour flavor with a little kick!

First, the ingredients.

• Silver 100% agave tequila – we used Camarena 
• Maple chili syrup (you’ll need pure maple syrup and 1 serrano pepper for this).
• Fresh lime juice
• Orange bitters

Second, the syrup. I made a small batch, but if you use equal parts you can make however much you want.

• 1:1 maple syrup to water. I did 1/4 cup water to a 1/4 cup maple syrup. 
• Put it on the stove and heat it up. Stir until syrup and water are combined well. Turn it down.
• Cut 1 serrano pepper, get the seeds out, and then slice.
• Add a few slices at a time and let seep for a few minutes. I did this to taste. You want this to have a kick, but not be so spicy that it overpowers the syrup flavor. I ended up using almost all of the serrano, but this is up to you. Just keep adding, letting it seep, then tasting. Once it’s where you want on the spice level, take the peppers out! Also, note that I used almost an entire pepper for the small amount I made, so make sure to get enough peppers if you want to make a large batch of the syrup.

Now, the cocktail.

• 2 oz tequila
• 3/4 oz maple chili syrup
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 dash orange bitters

Put all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake.
Strain into a glass with some large ice cubes (we have Tovolo tray’s).
Garnish with a lime slice.

The Glass: Anthropologie Color Pop glass.