Back Down South

Photographed in Atlanta, GA at JCT. Bar

Raised in:
Mexico

Lives in:
Atlanta, Georgia

Favorite thing about JCT‘s bar program:
The staff and the vibe we have together every night behind the bar. Also, I love our goal to always promote local products, farms, and small craftsmanship.

Favorite spirit:
I hate to be stereotypical but…tequila.

Now would ya look at that:
Eduardo Guzman, Beverage Manager at JCT. Kitchen & Bar and The Optimist.
Below is his delicious Squash Me Another One cocktail from the late winter cocktails he launched last week at JCT. If you’re in Atlanta, swing by and give it a try! And don’t miss the 3 other new additions: Changing Seasons (kumquat-infused tequila, Kina Lillet, lime); Midnight Express (Chattanooga Whiskey, cranberry shrub, sage/honey syrup); and Rosebud (fig-infused bourbon, spice pear liquor, brown sugar, Fee Brother’s Aromatics, Fee Brother’s Orange).

1.5 oz St. George “Dry Rye” gin
1 oz Winter Squash/Orange cordial*
1/4 oz honey syrup
1/4 oz lemon juice
pinch of salt

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain, served straight up.

* If you’re not in Atlanta to go order one of these for yourself, not to fear. Here’s how to make the Winter Squash/Orange cordial.

1 whole squash
4 cups of water
1 cup sugar
2 cups OJ

Peel, take the seeds out and cut the squash into cubes. Add squash into blender with 4 cups of water. Blend, double strain the squash purée in order to have a “squash water.” Combine squash water with orange juice and sugar. Shake or stir until sugar dissolves. Keep it cool. Yields: 1 quart of cordial.

A taste of Atlanta’s Most Romantic Cocktails piece by Jess Graves that I photographed for StyleBlueprint.
For the record, all of these cocktails are delicious!
Read the full story here to find out where to go get ’em and how to make ’em.

The Drink: I had my first Hot Toddy in college. I came home sick and my Dad made me one. Not a whiskey drinker at the time, this was just a glass of hot medicine to me, prescribed by Dr. Dad, and you know what? I liked it. At the time, I had only just learned how to get a fake id and was completely oblivious to the delightful taste of whiskey. And you know what else? I did feel better…

All these years later, the Hot Toddy has become one of my favorite whiskey drinks. Next to wassail, which I only drink around Christmas, it’s a go to winter evening cocktail. And like wassail, there’s a ton of ways to make it. The most classic is incredibly simple – shot of whiskey, spoonful of honey, squeeze of lemon and hot water. Stir it with a cinnamon stick. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.

Once I started making these on nights that I wasn’t sick, I decided to up my Toddy game. So far, The Tippler‘s recipe (slightly adapted) has been my favorite since discovering it in an Imbibe issue last year. My only two changes: I use Laird’s Applejack (an American apple brandy) instead of a Calvados (apple brandy from Normandy), and I use straight honey instead of honey syrup. The reason for the former is simply because I already had a bottle. The reason for the later is because it’s just one less step in the prep process.

• 1 oz bourbon – I typically use Four Roses Yellow or Bulleit
• 1 oz apple brandy – Applejack or calvados
• 1/2 oz cinnamon syrup – I keep some of this in the fridge all winter. It’s such an easy way to spice up a classic cocktail by substituting this for simple syrup. Cinnamon Old Fashioned, Cinnamon Manhattan…
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 oz honey
• 2 dash Angostura bitters
• Hot water

Pour all ingredients in a mug and stir.
Top with desired amount of hot water. I prefer about 3-4 oz so I can still taste the booze. Typically, I use 1 oz more of the booze than listed above for a stiffer Toddy. If you’re a whiskey neat person, I’d recommend 1.5 oz of the bouron + brandy with the rest of the measurements the same. Trust me.
Sip by a fire in your pajamas for maximum enjoyment.

The Glass: Bodum bistro mug.

The Attire: Munki Munki llama pajamas, Essie ‘After School Boy Blazer’ nail polish.