Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/80298
Phil Jackson. Vanilla Margarita ◗ 1 oz. Luna Malvada Plata ◗ ½ oz. triple sec ◗ Fill ¾ of the way with sweet and sour, fl oat with Luna Reposado orange-vanilla infusion.* *Luna Malvada Orange-Vanilla Infusion ◗ 3 bottles of Luna Malvada Reposado ◗ 6 orange wheels ◗ 7 Mexican vanilla beans, butterfl ied ◗ Feed butterfl ied vanilla bean through orange wheels; add all ingredients to infusion jar and let sit for at least 24 hours. A Dark Moon at the Beach In L.A.'s seaside Marina del Rey, Baja Cantina is a true tequila hotspot. Here, a hip local crowd of surfers and surf-watchers gathers to relax over a fl avorful Mexican meal and, of course, drink tequila. "Tequila is defi nitely the spirit of choice here," says General Manager Phil Jackson. But for his customers who've already experimented with all of the usual suspects in the agave spirit world, Jackson explains that Luna Malvada opens up a new world of tequila. "It's been a hit with the folks who want to try something new, " he says, and although the brand had only been on the backbar a few weeks at press time, he'd already noticed the dark moon was on the rise. "The response has been great, and it's easy to see why—I love the tequila," continues Jackson, who is proud to display one of the brand's signature infusions jars, which pour an orange-vanilla-infused Luna Malvada Reposado. "Although we are seeing people drink the tequila neat, we've also gotten great responses from our Luna-based cocktails." Picking up on the resposado's naturally sweet citrus notes, the orange-vanilla infusion is fantastic on its own, and mixable (or fl oat- able) in several featured cocktails, including the oh-so-creamy and delicious Luna Dreamsicle and the surprisingly yummy Vanilla Luna-C, both cocktails that are perfect for high-volume accounts where maximizing fl avor in a short amount of time is of the essence. Left to right: The Luna Dreamsicle, Luna Malvada Orange-Vanilla infusion, Vanilla Margarita, Luna-C. september 2012 / the tasting panel / 7 PHOTO: ERICA BARTEL