During summer and into fall here in California, one of my favorite cocktails and a dinner guest pleaser is of course a margarita! But have you ever wondered what other cocktail you can make with tequila besides a margarita and a Paloma?
Recently I was in Los Angeles and was introduced to one of the most delicious drinks I’ve had in a long time and it totally surprised me! It is made with lemons instead of limes and triple sec instead of agave syrup. We were having dinner at an incredible restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, Eveleigh, which is so worth going to. It has such a great menu with amazing craft cocktails and a beautiful setting with an indoor and outdoor patio.
I was determined to try to duplicate this tasty tequila lemonade cocktail when I got home.
What is interesting about this cocktail is that it is made with chamomile infused tequila which intrigued me. I would never pair those two ingredients together! In my mind I’m thinking that this will taste like a margarita in that it has tequila-but when i tasted it, it had the most pleasant soft and refreshing flavor and not a note of tequila taste. It almost tasted how relaxing feels.
With the exception of the Cocci Americano aperitif ingredient, the others are pretty straightforward. Chamomile tea infused blanco tequila ( I use Codigo Blanco, my favorite), Cocci Americano aperitif, lemon juice, honey, and triple sec orange flavored liqueur.
To make the infused tequila, I did it the easy way. I put about 6 ounces of Codigo Blanco tequila in a glass jar and added two chamomile tea bags and some grated lemon zest and let sit overnight. You can also do this in as little as three hours, but I wanted to make sure to get the full flavor.
It turned a deep gold color in that time, and smelled a tiny bit like chamomile but not too much. An alternative would be to use dried chamomile flowers, but tea bags are easier and you may have them already.
You can adjust the amount you are making, for example if you want to infuse an entire bottle of tequila put 8-10 chamomile tea bags and the blanco tequila into a pitcher in to infuse the tequila and zest of whole lemon. Strain before mixing.
On the Eveleigh menu for the Lemonade, it listed Cocci Americano as an ingredient. I had to look it up and was surprised it was an aperitif wine from Italy which also contains one ingredient that made sense as to why I love it-elderflower.
Elderflower is the main ingredient of St.Germain elderflower liqueur which I love in the fresh grapefruit juice, vodka and St.Germain cocktail that we have featured on the website here. I would never have thought to add an aperitif wine to a tequila cocktail! Kudos to the mixologist at Eveleigh!
In addition, fresh lemon juice, honey and triple sec round out the ingredients. Measure, pour into a shaker with ice, and shake really well to be sure that the honey is blended and not stuck at the bottom as mine did the first time. You will need to stir as well to mix thoroughly.
Strain and pour over a glass of ice and add a thick lemon slice for a garnish. This will be a definite crowd pleaser- it tastes like you are drinking a spa drink – only made with tequila. As an alternative, you may be able to substitute vodka infused chamomile. I haven’t tried this yet but I’m sure it would taste just as delicious! Remember you can also make in a larger batch and place in a pitcher-just stir again so the honey is mixed before pouring. Enjoy!
Eveleigh inspired Lemonade
1 -2 ounces blanco tequila ( Codigo Blanco if possible) infused with chamomile tea and lemon zest
½ ounce Cocci Americano aperitif wine
½ ounce triple sec orange flavored liqueur such as Cointreau or Combier
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
½ tablespoon honey ( * you may also substitute agave or simple syrup or do ½ and ½ mixture but may not taste the same)
Garnish: lemon slice
-Infuse 4-6 ounces of blanco tequila with 2 chamomile tea bags and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest ( adjust for quantity)
-Let sit overnight or up to 3 hours
-In a shaker with ice, combine 1-2 ounces of infused tequila, ½ ounce of Cocci Americano, ½ ounce of triple sec, 1 ounce fresh lemon juice and ½ tablespoon of honey. Shake well. Take a long spoon and stir thoroughly to combine honey into the mixture.
-Mix multiple quantities and place into a pitcher for quicker serving
Pour over a full glass of ice and add a lemon slice.
Enjoy! Xx CC
