Reposado Smooths the Way Into Cinco de Mayo

On Cinco de Mayo, our bar is open and ready for service (in addition to some great food). The usual margaritas come into play and, for anyone underage, virgin strawberry daiquiris are festive favorites. We'll throw in a few shots of Don Julio's along the way, too.

Now, for the reposado. This particular mezcal is from the state of Zacatecas and is not available outside of Mexico as far as I know. Of course, it's 100 percent agave and it's a light golden color - as it should be. A first whiff has a bit of olive to it, and there's no way of knowing what type of barrel was used for aging.

Adding blue Curacao and orange Curacao, along with lime juice and simple syrup, turned out to be a delight, but not for the faint of heart. Curacao, regardless of color, is made from bitter oranges with a hint of sweetness. We keep both on hand for frozen margarita pies. While some may not find the colors appealing, for the fifth of May, they fit right in. Yes, if you're using a tequila, it should probably be a blanco, but our little golden reposado performed admirably.

I did find variations out there with some interesting names (and some not repeatable here). In each cocktail (pictured in the martini glasses at the right), I blended 1 ounce reposado, 2 ounces Curacao, one-half ounce lime juice and one-half ounce simple syrup. (Basic syrup is equal parts water and sugar, boiled, then simmered until dissolved - about 3 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate.)

The last step is to shake with ice and then strain into frosted glasses. These will pair beautifully with salty appetizers and you can easily adjust the simple syrup amounts for added sweetness.



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