Turmeric Tommies
This is the first of the cocktail recipes from my recent article on MASTI.
Turmeric Tommies is a nod to the margarita from Tommy’s, an acclaimed Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. MASTI’s twist includes tequila, mescal, lime juice, and a beautiful vibrant yellow syrup made out of five spices. Black cardamom, licorice, coriander seeds, star anise and turmeric – are all spices typically found in kitchens across India and make their way into the syrup and into our cocktail.
The Ingredients:
- 40 ml Don Patròn Tequila
- 10 ml Mezcal
- 30 ml Fresh Lime Juice
- 20 ml 5 Spiced Syrup – a sugar syrup infused with black cardamom, licorice, coriander seeds, star anise, and turmeric
- For the Garnish: Black Salt Rim, Dry Lime, Cardamom Leaf on the stem
The Method
We start by painting half the rim of our glass with agave syrup before dipping it into black volcanic salt. It’s the perfect balance between salty and sweet.
We measure our lime juice and pour it into the shaker, followed by our five-spice syrup. I take a whiff – I could almost swear I’m on the streets of Mumbai!
We add our tequila: first mescal, followed by Don Patron. If mescal is the father of tequila, then Don Patron is the king! The difference between the two is that the mescal will impart smokiness, whereas the Don adds a pure and clean flavor. We fill our shaker with ice, right up to the brim; without enough, our cocktail will dilute (those who hold the ice when ordering a cocktail, take note).
I lock the shaker into pole position, thumb on top, two fingers on the bottom. As I start shaking, my rhythm is slow, steady, and mechanical at first. My momentum picks up, and I unleash my inner Tom Cruise from “Cocktail” the movie – look it up millennials!
With the heel of my hand I give the shaker a hard blow until I hear it “pop.” We strain our liquid gold into our salt-rimmed glass – the color is just insane! A little cardamom leaf at the bottom of our glass and some dried lime to garnish. It’s a sexy drink indeed!
Shot on location at MASTI
Photography by Tara Atkinson Photography
Hair and Makeup by Instaglam.co
Jewelry by Vik Jethwani
Social Media by Donna Hearts Beauty
Special thanks to Adam Carr – MASTI’s General Manager, as well as Tauland Hyka, and Jeet Verma. for their patience and for willingness to share their bartending secrets.