Last minute Valentine’s Day cocktail? We are ON IT.
You never really see Tequila mentioned in a mixed drink recipe, but trust me - this one is slammin’. And hopefully, you will be too when you whip up a few of these Agave Kiss cocktails tomorrow for Valentine’s Day. See what I did there? I’m like cupid, but with liquor; you know, like a much better version of cupid.
This smooth, creamy cocktail is the perfect balance of complementary flavors that would otherwise compete with one another, if you were to leave out any one of these ingredients. Just like any good relationship.
Agave Kiss - Recipe:
2 oz silver tequila
1 oz white créme de cacao
1 oz double cream
1/2 oz Chambord
Shaved white chocolate flakes
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Since it’s Valentine’s day after all, I’d suggest going with some call liquors for this one: Patrón for the tequila, and Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur for the créme de cacao. In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the tequila, créme de cacao, double cream and Chambord. Shake for 15 - 20 seconds, and strain into a cocktail/martini glass, rimmed with shaved white chocolate. Add a spear of fresh raspberries, and serve.
Last week, I had the opportunity to test out the ElectraPour, courtesy of New York Bar Store. For those of you who don’t know, ElectraPour is a new pour spout for liquor bottles with an LED that illuminates when you pour, transforming the liquid into a colorful stream of light as it pours into your glass. The battery life is around 4 hours of continuous pouring, which is phenomenal when considering that you’re usually only pouring for three or four seconds per drink.
Honestly, this is by far the best model of light-up pourer that I’ve ever seen. Most of the other LED barware I’ve seen or used have been too flashy or blinky, like an old cell phone accessory gone bad. The ElectraPour, on the other hand, is actually really low key; a steady, subtle stream of light. Also, unlike other light-up pourers I’ve used, this one pours at the same speed as a standard bottle pourer - so there’s nothing to “get used to” behind the bar when counting pours.
The ElectraPour is excellent for classy, low-key settings, where dim lights are part of the motif.
If you have a trendy lounge, or an upscale club, this is a great promotional tool, as it’ll draw more attention to shots being poured, which will, of course, lead to more shots being ordered. Since shots are the drinks where the most money is made, it’s a pretty good marketing gimmick.
If you’re throwing a party at home, everyone asking for shots poured with your cool new ElectraPours, you have a much easier night ahead, as, let’s face it, shots are pretty easy; no ingredients to remember. Not to mention, they’re still a pretty new gadget, so you’ll have an awesome conversation-starter at your party, before all of the trendiest lounges in your area pick up on it.
It merits mentioning, of course, that if you’re using the ElectraPour, the best results come from using clear or light liquors, such as vodka, gin or tequila. You could use it for pouring out darker colored liquors, but it’ll change/dim the LED light a bit. I would strongly advise against using on bottles of anything particularly sticky; you wouldn’t want to get any residue on the LED, as it might get blocked out a bit.