“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” once opined William Shakespeare. But would it taste the same? If you look at most modern cocktail menus, you will notice that many, if not most, drinks are now named after classic cocktails.
However, not all Manhattans or old fashioneds are the same. They might be similar, but often they are interpretive, meaning that your Manhattan might still have whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters. But what whiskey? What vermouth? And what bitters? Is an apple-infused bourbon Manhattan made with blanco vermouth and cherry bitters still a Manhattan? Maybe?
And nowhere does this get more confusing than with the classic margarita. The word “margarita” means “daisy” in Spanish. And a Daisy is a type of drink with a spirit, fruit syrup and citrus juice. The classic margarita with tequila, triple sec and lime juice certainly fits the bill, if we accept triple sec as an orange-flavored alcoholic syrup.
But a margarita is also rimmed in salt. And a crusta is specifically a type of drink that features citrus juice, fruit syrup — often maraschino liqueur or triple sec — and a spirit in a sugar- or salt- rimmed glass. Think brandy crusta, which is ironically probably better known as a Sidecar.
Then there’s the Tommy’s margarita: tequila, lime juice and agave syrup, which might be a Daisy, if you accept agave syrup as fruit, but it really isn’t a margarita. Instead, it is more of a tequila gimlet with agave. And what about a skinny margarita? That’s tequila, lime juice and soda water. Isn’t that called a Ranch Water? It is, but a Ranch Water is really a tequila collins without sugar. And what about a spicy skinny margarita with mezcal?
Wherever that leaves us, one fact still remains: It is summertime and it is hot. August, with its blackberries, fresh watermelon and lime, might just be the perfect month for whatever you call these drinks.
Towards that end, I have taken the liberty of assembling four different versions for your enjoyment. Call them whatever you will. Just remember that Shakespeare’s name, as recorded on his baptismal document, was actually Gulielmus Shakspere — just saying.
Jeff Burkhart is the author of “Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender, Vol. I and II,” the host of the Barfly Podcast on iTunes (as seen in the NY Times) and an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at jeffburkhart.net and contact him at [email protected]
Recipes
Creamy Coconut Margarita
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces Tapatio blanco tequila
¾ ounce Cointreau (or another premium triple sec)
¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
¼ ounce agave syrup
¾ ounce coconut cream (not sweetened)
Tajin seasoning
Directions
Combine the first five ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine and then strain into an ice-filled serving glass. Sprinkle Tajin on top.
Note: This is notably not a crusta as the Tajin is sprinkled on top.
Spicy Smoky Skinny Crusta Collins
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces Santo Spirits Mezquila
1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 ounce sparkling water
5 nickel-sized slices of fresh jalapeno pepper
King Floyd’s Black Lava Salt
1 dried chile de árbol
Directions
Dab the side of your serving glass with lime juice and then it dip into salt, leaving a thumb-sized patch. Fill with ice and set aside. Combine mezquila, lime juice and jalapeno slices in a mixing glass with ice. Shake to combine. (Be sure not to shake so much that the peppers disintegrate; you want them intact.) Strain into the salted glass. Top with soda and stir gently. Garnish with dried chile.
Note: Sugar adds a lot of flavor. The smoke of mezcal, or in this case, mezquila, along with the spice of the chiles, more than make up for it.
Watermelon Margarita
Ingredients
1 ½ ounces Santo Spirits blanco tequila
¾ ounce Cointreau (or another premium triple sec)
¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
¾ ounce fresh watermelon juice
½ ounce aquafaba
3 watermelon seeds
Directions
Combine the first five ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to combine and then strain into an ice-filled serving glass, piling up foam on top. Place the three seeds on the foam.
Note: To make watermelon juice, skin a seedless watermelon, removing all the white. Cut into chunks and place in a blender. Pulse until liquefied. Make sure to shake or stir before every use. Seedless watermelons will inevitably have a few seeds. Reserve for garnish.
Nonalcoholic Blackberry Daisy
2 ounces Free Spirits the Spirit of Tequila
1 ounce fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 teaspoon good-quality blackberry jam
2 dashes King Floyd’s Orange Bitters
3 large fresh blackberries
Directions
Combine the first four ingredients in a shaker glass with ice. Place two blackberries on top. Shake until combined and the blackberries begin to fall apart. Pour the entire contents into a serving glass. Garnish with the leftover blackberry.
Note: Blackberries are a type of berry from a bramble bush. But the Bramble drink, named after the bush, is a gin Daisy made with blackberry syrup, whereas this cocktail is a version of a tequila Daisy, or a margarita. Fruit jams are an easy way to make excellent simple syrups. Just dilute with water until the desired consistency is reached.
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