San Miguel de Allende Creates Mixology Scene as Unique as the Destination

Published July 22nd, 2021

San Miguel de Allende is not the type of destination where a drink is called a cocktail simply because some Tequila was mixed with orange juice. When you visit this jewel of a city, you’ll see that nothing is basic; here, mixologists are inspired by a destination full of culture and history and use the latest trends, flavors, and techniques to create cocktails unique to the city and of great enjoyment for visitors.

A culinary destination of note, San Miguel de Allende boasts more than 200 restaurants in hotels, on rooftops, on plazas, and at haciendas. This chic dining destination has attracted many young mixologists who’ve been put in charge of satisfying gourmands’ demand for good drinking, innovating with new combinations, and rendering classic ones with skill and style. Without a doubt, the resulting atmosphere at these dining and drinking establishments will make any palate vibrate.

The San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board shares five easy recipes for cocktails that can be made at home to easily recreate and experience the cocktail scene of San Miguel de Allende.

• Magali Ruiz – Mixologist at Casa No Name hotel

“Limu” (“Lima” in the indigenous Otomí language)
Ingredients: 45 ml mezcal, 50 ml lime and eucalyptus cordial, 10 ml Damiana liqueur, soda top, ice, dehydrated leaf.

Utensils: Shaker, bar spoon, julep strainer, old-fashioned glass, ice.
Process:

1. Place ice shaker.
2. Mix ingredients.
3. Cool for 3 min with Stirling technique.
4. Serve in an old fashion glass with ice.
5. Decorate with dehydrated leaf and serve.

• Ulises Luna – Mixologist at Spice Market restaurant at Live Aqua San Miguel de Allende hotel

“Pink Snapper”
Ingredients: 1 oz gin with cardamom, 2 oz watermelon juice infused with cinnamon, ½ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz chamomile syrup, 1 slice of watermelon skin (garnish), and ice.
Utensils: Shaker, jigger with sub-measures, Collins glass, and small tweezers.
Process:

1. Add ingredients to a shaker with ice.
2. Shake.
3. Pour into glass using a simple strain.
4. Fill glass with crushed ice to the top.
5. Decorate with a watermelon slice on one side of the glass with help of tweezers.

• Jonathan Frausto – Mixologist at Bovine Brasserie

“La Costumbre”
Ingredients: 50 ml mezcal, 30 ml liquor 43, 60 ml sweet-and-sour*, 50 ml pineapple juice, 30 ml passion fruit cordial, edible wafer (garnish), and ice.
Utensils: 1 shaker, 1 jigger, ice tongs, worm strainer, coupe, or cocktail glass.
Process:

1. Add ice to glass.
2. Add all ingredients to the shaker.
3. Shake hard for 30 sec.
4. Pour into glass.
5. Decorate with a wafer.

*Sweet-and-sour — Ingredients: 200 ml lemon juice, 200 ml orange juice, 200 ml grapefruit juice, 200 ml aquafaba, 200 ml agave honey.
• Miguel Angel Espinoza — Head bartender at Monkey Bar inside the Matilda

“Magma”
Ingredients: 45 ml Harmonic gin, 30 ml passion fruit, 30 ml cardamom syrup, 30 ml aquafaba, 3 dashes of angostura bitters, and ice.
Utensils: 1 shaker, 1 jigger, ice tongs.
Process:

1. Add ice to the shaker.
2. Add all the ingredients except angostura to the shaker.
3. Shake vigorously for 1 min.
4. Pour with a simple strainer into glass.
5. Add angostura to taste.

• Iván Grimaldi – Bar Manager at Fátima 7

“Easy Life”
Ingredients: 45 ml gin, 60 ml clarified cucumber, 45 ml lavender honey with cardamom and 45 ml rose wine, ice.
Utensils: 1 shaker, 1 mixing glass, 1 jigger, ice tongs, old-fashioned glass.
Process:

1. Add gin and cucumber clarification to the shaker with ice.
2. Burn ingredients a little with the stirring technique.
3. Serve in an old-fashioned glass with a large ice cube.
4. Using a spoon, pour rosé wine to make a separation.
5. Aromatize with a real lemon twist and decorate with cucumber circles marinated in herbal liqueur.