#dayofthedeadcocktails

[wonderandwanderinginmexicocity]

Amaizeing Cocktails!

"It's not true that you shouldn't drink alone: these can be the happiest glasses you ever drain.”  -Christopher Hitchens

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how corn is an important source of nutrition, history, and Mexican culture. But there are any number of ways that corn is not eaten, but sipped. There is the corn and cacao based street drink Pozol and the sweet alcoholic beverage, Pox, both found in the southern state of Chiapas. For the ancient Mayans, Pox had a ceremonial and religious role, but today it is enjoyed casually on a typical Friday night by their descendants. There are any number of corn based beverages here in Mexico but I wanted to create a few of my own. 

There is this alcohol brand I have seen at any number of bars and liquor stores and a few weeks ago curiosity got the better of me and I bought one. It is Nixta, a corn liquor or liquor de elote. Nixta is short for nixtamalization, a process by which corn is soaked typically in lime water and then hulled. Nothing is more Mexican than finding new ways to enjoy corn, so I decided to try and be creative and come up with a cornucopia (pardon the puns) of cocktails.

Jimmy Jack Corn 

-.25 parts Nixta Licor de Elote

-2 parts Jack Daniels Whiskey 

-1 dash of  Angostura Bitters

-Splash of water 

-Dash of sugar 

-ice 

-Garnish with a lime wedge

Pour the Nixta and Jack Daniels over ice in a rock glass. Add one dash of bitters and stir. Add a splash of water, dash of sugar,  and a bit of the lime juice into the cocktail. Stir once more and serve. 

The Mexican Godfather (El Padrino)

-2 parts Mezcal Toblar 

.-25 parts Amaretto syrup

-.25 parts Nixta

-Splash of water 

-Served over ice 

A Mexican adaptation of a popular (and simple) scotch drink. Pour the mezcal, Nixta and amaretto over ice and stir in a rocks glass. Add a splash of water, stir again, and serve.