Created in Los Angeles in 2009, the Barbacoa belongs to the culinary cocktail movement, representing the West Coast style of bartending that leaned into fresh, local produce. The recipe, which calls for muddling bell peppers and Fresno chiles alongside ginger syrup and citrus juice, is emblematic of the then-nascent farm-to-glass ethos of cocktails. Savory, spicy and smoky, it helped pave the way for the recent wave of modern cocktails that seek to translate food into drinks.
Barbacoa
Julian Cox | Los Angeles
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 2 ounces mezcal
- Scant 3/4 ounce agave nectar
- 1/2 ounce ginger syrup (see Editor’s Note)
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 3 wedges of lime
- 3 pieces red bell pepper
- 1 pinch thinly sliced red Fresno chile
Garnish: beef jerky
Directions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients and muddle them together.
- Add ice and shake until chilled.
- Pour into a double Old-Fashioned glass.
- Garnish with a piece of beef jerky.
Editor's Note
In a saucepan over very low heat, combine one part fresh ginger juice to two parts granulated sugar and stir to incorporate.