Vaquero

COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Pineapple Chunks
- 1 Large Sage Leaf
- 45 ml Bourbon
- 22,5 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- 22,5 ml Ancho Reyes Chilli Liqueur
- 15 ml Aperol
- 7,5 ml Demerara Simple Syrup
- 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

GARNISH:
- Sage Leaf
- Lemon Twist
- Edible Flower

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Muddle pineapple chunks and sage leaf in a cocktail shaker.
• Add rest of the ingredients.
• Add ice and shake until chilled.
• Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
• Garnish a sage leaf, lemon twist and an edible flower.

Cocktail author: Simone Goldberg.

Vaquero has been described as a Winter Daiquiri, but giving its complex nature it is a drastic oversimplification. For me, Vaquero is a blend of few different styles and techniques making this one-of-a-kind cocktail.

Base of the drink is bourbon, bringing those delicious oak, vanilla and caramel notes. Muddled pineapple borrows a page from tiki cocktail handbook and adds subtly balanced sweet-tart fruitiness. Ancho Reyes Chilli Liqueur increases the complexity with delicate herbal and warming chilli flavours. Muddled sage works a bit like a cooling counterbalance to the spiciness of the Ancho, at the same time expanding herbal profile of the drink. A touch of Aperol brings bitter-sweet orange notes to the mix, while a healthy dose of fresh lemon juice and a bit of demerara syrup balances the cocktail out between sweet and tart. Finally, a couple of dashes of Angostura bitters accentuates the complicated nature of the cocktail, seasoning the drink well.

All in all, Vaquero is an incredibly delicious and sophisticated cocktail intended for the coldest months of the year, but is just as tasty all year round. I highly recommend giving it a try.

Source material:
https://punchdrink.com/recipes/vaquero/