Desert Walker is inspired by the flavors of New Mexico but with a sotol twist, says Ashley Perry Lynn of Palace. “New Mexico is our oasis, so I combined the flavors of the desert with cooling flavors such as coconut and mint to create a fun and refreshing cocktail.” She’s a fan of Dry Point Desert Sotol for this cocktail, a collaboration between Dry Point Distillers in Las Cruces and a producer in Mexico, that has smokey pine and earthy vegetal notes. Add a little fresh lime for added acidity, and a homemade nopales syrup. It’s a refreshing taste of the desert in a glass.
Desert Walker Cocktail (Sotol, Lime, & Nopales)
Description
The lesser known spirits can be the best to experiment with…
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz Dry Point Desert Sotol
- ½ oz Cap Corse Blanc
- ¼ oz Kalani Coconut Liquor
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¾ oz nopales simple syrup
- Mint leaves, plus a mint bouquet to garnish
- Topo Chico
- Nopales to garnish
For the nopales simple syrup:
- 2 cups of chopped nopales
- Cane sugar
- Pinch of citric acid
Instructions
- Dry shake (i.e. no ice) all of the ingredients except the Topo Chico.
- Strain and pour into a Collins glass.
- Add the Topo Chico to top off.
- Garnish with additional nopales and a mint bouquet.
For the nopales simple syrup:
- Use a stick blender to puree the nopales. If using jarred nopales, rinse them first to remove the brine.
- Strain the blitzed nopales through a strainer lined with cheese cloth.
- Weigh the strained juice and combine with an equal weight of cane sugar.
- Add a pinch of citric acid and blitz with a stick blender until completely blended.
- Place in a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. The syrup can be kept for up to three weeks.
Try a dish that also showcases local ingredients: Lemony Cauliflower with Red Chile Cilantro Pesto.
Recipe by Ashley Perry Lynn, Palace
Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce
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