It’s high time you added sotol to your bar cart

By Rebekah Peppler The New York Times What can t sotol do This traditional spirit from northern Mexico may not ring a bell or be a mainstay in your drinks rotation yet but with its wide spectrum of flavors from bright and grassy to sweetly vegetal and herbaceous to earthy and lightly smoky to rich and woody it deserves a prime spot on your bar cart While it was previously classified incorrectly as an agave distillate and is often compared to agave-based spirits like mezcal tequila bacanora and raicilla sotol is authentically made from a group of plants in the dasylirion genus which dot the Chihuahuan Desert and the northern Mexican states of Chihuahua Coahuila and Durango Accordingly sotol has received a Mexican denomination of origin in not so dissimilar from Champagne or Scotch According to Mexican law if it s not from those three states it cannot be labeled sotol Indeed place is key to the taste of sotol These plants take a lot of their personality from the place that they are from mentioned Natalia de la Rosa a co-founder of Ahuehuete a private tasting room with one of the largest Mexican spirits collections in Mexico City That is part of the magic of these spirits The surrounding landscape situation and variety of dasylirion also called desert spoon or sotol all shine through in the finished product Plants that grow in forested areas can impart the spirit with fresh notes of herbs or pine while sotol made from plants residing in more arid regions can accrue mineral earthy undertones with hints of smoke and spice For me the best way to describe sotol is it is a flavor that brings me back to a place de la Rosa commented Like the desert after the rain Sotol s rich history reaches back around years de la Rosa noted Dasylirion was used and fermented by Indigenous communities for food and ceremonial purposes Modern distillation techniques were introduced during Spanish colonization in the th century Those techniques vary from sotolero sotol distiller to sotolero and vinata sotol distillery to vinata the majority of whom use methods that have been passed down through generations Traditionally sotol is sipped neat at room temperature allowing imbibers to best appreciate its layered nuance character But sotol also makes for an extremely versatile cocktail ingredient and if you re looking to incorporate it in your next mixed drink there s no time like the present Spring and early summer is the perfect time for sotol declared Yana Volfson the beverage designer at Tokyo Record Bar and Listening Room in New York City and a founding partner of Ticuchi in Mexico City Various of the ingredients that highlight and complement it are in season You can double down on herbal complexity by muddling slices of cucumber and fragrant sprigs of mint together in a refreshing Sotol Pepino Or if negronis are more your speed Volfson suggests switching out the standard gin for sotol and combining it with a light red bitter and blanc vermouth in a brighter more floral take on the ever riffed-on classic Should you prefer your drink served up opt for a round of Sotol C tricos The bright citrus-forward combination of sotol grapefruit lime and orange bitters is shaken and strained into a chilled cocktail glass Though sotol can still be more arduous to find in the United States than agave-based spirits there are a growing number of bottles to be discovered Look for sotol in the mezcal or tequila section or order it online It s major to note that while the denomination of origin or D O status of tequila and mezcal are honored in the United States sotol s D O is not right now recognized As a effect spirits made from dasylirion may be called sotol across the boundary Looking at the bottle s label for the variety of plant it is made from and the region it comes from ensures you know where that specific sotol has been made De la Rosa suggests sourcing a bottle from LaMata which offers a quality collection of small-batch traditional Mexican distillates including sotols from Chihuahua and Durango Other brands to look for stateside include Flor del Desierto and Sotol Por Siempre Even if you re planning on using it in a cocktail pour and sip a bit of sotol straight to best understand that particular sotol s distinctive flavors Then continue to enjoy it as a solo pour or add it to the shaker Either way a bottle or two of this complex spirit should be your next addition to the home bar Recipe Sotol Pepino Sotol Pepino The Sotol Pepino is infused with plenty of bright vegetal and herbal flavors as well as a pretty green hue Food styled by Hadas Smirnoff Joel Goldberg The New York Times This refreshing drink doubles down on the earthy herbal complexity of sotol a traditional spirit from northern Mexico When making this cocktail be sure to muddle the cucumber and mint well This ensures the final drink is infused with plenty of their bright vegetal and herbal flavors as well as a pretty green hue A pour of blanc vermouth adds a touch of floral sweetness By Rebekah Peppler Yield Makes drink Ingredients -inch-thick cucumber slices large mint sprig plus more for garnish Small pinch of flaky sea salt ounces sotol ounce blanc vermouth ounce fresh lime juice ounce agave syrup see Tip Ice Preparation In a cocktail shaker add the cucumbers a sprig of mint and the salt Muddle until the cucumbers are fully smashed their juices distributed and the mint is fragrant Add the sotol vermouth lime juice agave syrup and ice Cover and shake vigorously until well chilled about seconds Strain into an ice-filled lowball glass and garnish with the remaining mint sprigs Tip To make agave syrup combine cup agave nectar and cup warm water in a resealable jar Stir or cover and shake until well combined Agave syrup will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to one month Recipe Sotol C trico Sotol C trico The bright citrus-forward combination of sotol grapefruit lime and orange bitters is shaken and strained into a chilled cocktail glass Food styled by Hadas Smirnoff Joel Goldberg The New York Times The bright citrus-forward combination of sotol grapefruit lime and orange bitters adds a sweetly acidic punch that balances the herbal earthy undertones of sotol a traditional spirit from northern Mexico A inadequate dashes of orange bitters underscore those citrus notes even further and should you have another citrus-based bitter on hand such as grapefruit or lemon feel free to swap it in Serve it up in a chilled glass just as written or add a salt or Taj n rim for a welcome layer of texture and spice see Tip By Rebekah Peppler Yield drink Ingredients Ice ounces sotol ounce dry vermouth ounce grapefruit juice ounce orange liqueur ounce fresh lime juice ounce agave syrup see Tip dashes orange bitters Preparation Place a martini or Nick and Nora glass in the freezer to chill for at least minutes and up to an hour You can also fill the glass with ice and water stir for seconds pour out the ice water to instantly chill the glass In a cocktail shaker filled with ice combine the sotol vermouth grapefruit juice orange liqueur lime juice agave syrup and orange bitters Shake vigorously until well chilled about seconds Strain into the chilled glass and serve without delay Related Articles Recipe Zucchini olive oil pine nuts and Parmigiano Reggiano band up deliciously Recipe This mushroom sauce is tasty on everything but is best on chicken Five Weeknight Dishes Meals for Maycember The Secret to Restaurant-Style Chicken at Home Easy Strategies to Make Your Basil and Other Herbs Last So Much Longer Tips To make agave syrup In a resealable jar combine cup agave nectar and cup warm water Stir or cover and shake until well combined Agave syrup will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to one month To add a Taj n or salt rim sprinkle a thin layer of Taj n or fine sea salt into a shallow bowl or plate Run a grapefruit or lime wedge along the rim of your chilled glass then dip the rim into the Taj n or fine sea salt tapping off any excess before pouring in the cocktail This article originally appeared in The New York Times