{Pisco Burro – Mission’s take on a Moscow Mule}
Mission Taco Joint released its new winter cocktail menu a few weeks ago, so once we sent our December issue to the printer, we headed over to celebrate –er, check it out … for work. While there is still a margarita on the menu (although the recipe has been tweaked), the rest of the menu, featuring 12 cocktails in total, is completely new. In regards to the changes, bar manager Jimmy Menousek said, “The entire bar staff helped with this.”
“We wanted every person on staff to have their own thing on the menu,” added Kyle Harlan, assistant bar manager.
From tequila to mezcal to gin to bourbon, there’s a little of everything on the new menu, and it’s not limited to Mexican-style cocktails. For fans of bloody mary’s, try a michelada (pictured above), a beer cocktail that features bartender Jorge Vazquez Jr.’s michelada mix. The chipotle paste in the mix adds a deep spice that hits you in the back of the throat, and the use of Negro Modelo adds more depth than a lager, typically used in this type of drink.
Winter in Brazil (pictured above, left) contains cachaça, house-made serrano syrup, lime juice and cilantro. Although I love cilantro, the non-cilantro eaters at the table were still pleased with the taste. If you think you have that cilantro-hating gene, try this; it might be your gateway drink. On the sweeter side, there’s La Flor de Borracha (pictured above, right), which features London Dry gin, hibiscus agua fresca, lemon juice and The Big O ginger liquor.
For a show, order the Red Square, Mission’s twist on the Manhattan. Angostura bitters are sprayed and then flamed in the glass, which makes the bitters taste a bit sweeter. Barrel-aged Samogon (a Russian grappa) is added to the glass (post-flame) with a bit of sweet vermouth. The cocktail is stirred, and then served in a coupe glass.
As for the other seven drinks on the menu? This weekend, you’ll just have to go and try them yourself.
– photo by Michelle Volansky
This article appears in Guide to the Holidays 2013.