The Tasting Panel magazine

September 2011

Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/41419

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 57 of 124

Big-Hearted Don Don Julio at The Macao Trading Co, New York City NO MAMES created by Dushan Zaric ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 1½ oz. Don Julio Reposado Tequila 1 oz. honey liqueur 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice ½ oz. ruby red grapefruit juice Splash of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram Chipotle salt for garnish, half rim Apply the chipotle salt on half of the rim of a chilled cocktail glass. Put the rest of the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add large, cold ice and shake vigorously for ten seconds, then strain and serve. Dushan Zaric at The Macao Trading Co. in NYC. The Macao Trading Co., named after the Portuguese port colony in China and decorated like a 1940s warehouse/opium den, might be an unlikely place for Don Julio tequila to fi nd a happy home, but when the master of the bar is Dushan Zaric, anything can happen. Here, Don Julio is incorporated in a number of drinks that, while Mexican-themed, are informed by Zaric's vast knowledge of international fl avors and ingredients. Indeed, his cocktail recipes often include detailed tasting notes—as exacting as a chef or a sommelier. Of his "No Mames" (a Spanish idiom for "No way!") cocktail, which uses Don Julio Reposado, he notes honeyed lime, medium-high complexity, allspice contrasting with chipotle salt and a medium fi nish of grapefruit oil. For the 1942 expression, Zaric has created a two-part dessert cocktail that's nothing short of mind- and palate-blowing. The rich tequila is served straight and followed by a chocolate mole chaser, which brings out its smokiness and rich layers. Zaric calls it "liquid bliss." That little glass of happiness will set you back $30, but if you're a gambling kind of person, it's worth a shot. Zaric says the Don Julio spirits are among the most versatile at the bar, and attributes their success at Macao to Diageo's distributor education. "Diageo understands the need of the trade. We have a lineage system and it starts with the brand folks. When they share the story and let bartenders be part of the story, it's a success for us all. The marketing fl uff has to go. What's in the bottle? Why is it unique? Does it play well with others? I want to know if this has a heart." Don's heart? Big, says Zaric. —Lana Bortolot september 201 1 / the tasting panel / 57 The No Mames cocktail— Spanish for "No way!" PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Tasting Panel magazine - September 2011