Jay w wrote:Tibber, high praise, thank you. I'll have to try adding some club soda to a white Russian. I have been adding a splash of Gran Marnier or Contreau to some drinks and it adds an interesting after taste. So, I've been having fun just "winging it."
So what are the three vials of elixar? It looks like a clear (blanco) tequila, a barrel aged (anejo) and a blood mary type of mix.
Jay
There are many recipes of course. Wendy said this 3-banger wasn't the way she's normally had it. So I did a little Rx - From wikipedia: "Authentic sangrita from the Lake Chapala region of Jalisco is made with Seville orange, lime and pomegranate juices, with chili powder or hot sauce added for heat. However, most modern sangrita recipes (particularly outside of Jalisco) have mistakenly attributed the red appearance of the drink to tomato juice instead of the chile powder. While some would argue that there is no set rule on what sangrita should contain, as the main ingredient, it is commonly considered by older residents of Jalisco that tomato and particularly branded recipes such as the "Clamato" mix stem from uninformed efforts to recreate the drink due to its growing popularity. It can feature a blend of orange, lime, tomato and/or pomegranate juices, or pomegranate-based grenadine with the addition of something spicy (hot sauce or fresh/dried chile), and sometimes white onion and salt."
And since I was on the topic I read further: "unlike that bracing blast of pure lime and salt, sangrita is intended to complement the tequila, not just erase it. More than a heavy-handed way of making the spirit go down easier, sangrita enhances a quality sipping tequila—usually a silver (un-aged) one, though some folks serve it with gently aged reposados as well. The idea is to take a nip of one, then the other, back and forth, without shooting it all down at once.
The hallmark of successful sangrita, no matter the exact recipe, is that it balances the potency of the tequila. That means a good dose of acidity (hence sour oranges in those earlier incarnations) and enough sweetness to keep that acidity in check, all while delivering flavors that pair well with the tequila itself. As for the spicy chili? Instead of intensifying the tequila burn in an unpleasant way, it manages to act as a bridge between the strong alcohol and fruity chaser."
My friend prefers sticking with the non-tomato base. Here is an article, where the further reading came from, that gives you some recipe options
https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/04/how ... quila.html
Anyway, I liked the picture of the heron, a rare sighting in the Park I think. I liked the cropped photo.