Want your bar to raise the bar on what's hot in summer drinks?
Then look no further than fresh fruit and a drop of TABASCO® Brand Habanero Sauce, so says Jason Gronlund, director of culinary services/ingredient sales for McIlhenny Company/TABASCO® Brand Products, Avery Island, Louisiana.
"One trend for summer is muddling more fruit and using fruit flavors. The Mojito started it," Gronlund shares.
Adding a single drop of TABASCO® Brand Habanero Sauce, with its blend of mango, papaya, tamarind, banana and ginger, adds flavor without heat, Gronlund says.
"Just one drop can change the profile of the drink. It doesn't make it hot, but gives a unique flavor to summer drinks," Gronlund says.
Allen Katz, culinary director for The Food Group in New York City, adds that regardless of the season, adding one or two drops of TABASCO® Brand sauces to drinks is a growing trend.
"Using just a little bit -- like you would use bitters -- can enhance the taste of cocktails in a wonderful way and also leave you wanting more," Katz says.
Other trends that Katz sees include enhancing the overall dining experience by using TABASCO® Brand sauces in classic cocktails and mixology and pairing these items with food, which may or may not have TABASCO® as an ingredient; using fresh ingredients to enhance drink flavors and as garnishes; and adding TABASCO® Brand sauces to dessert cocktails.
PEPPERITA
yield: 1 drink
1 1/4 oz. Gold tequila
2/3 oz. Grand Marnier
Juice of half a lime
1 tsp. TABASCO® brand Green Pepper Sauce
Slice of lime for garnish
Variation: Use margarita or sweet and sour mix to make the drink as directed on the label. Shake in 1/2 to 1 tsp. TABASCO® brand Green Pepper Sauce per drink and stir.
1. Rub the rim of a goblet with the cut side of a lime, then dip rim into a saucer of salt. Fill glass with ice. Pour first three ingredients into an ice-filled cocktail shaker or pitcher, and shake or stir vigorously.
2. Strain into ice-filled glass. Shake in TABASCO® brand Green Pepper Sauce and stir. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Want your bar to raise the bar on what's hot in summer drinks?
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