“What more can you hope for at the end of the year or looking ahead to the start of a new year than good fortune?” asks Sean Beck, who turns to pomegranate, an ingredient long tied to good luck, in a cocktail he calls the Buena Fortuna. “It just screams Mexico to me. I love the tartness, the texture and that beautiful natural color.” He incorporates fresh pomegranate in a syrup flavored with piloncillo, the unrefined pure cane sugar that’s a popular sweetener in Mexico, adding body without overpowering the tequila. “El Tesoro™ Single Barrel Tequila is one of the few [aged] tequilas that is judicious with oak where the herbal and attractive green qualities still come through,” says Beck.
Buena Fortuna
Sean Beck | Houston

Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 part El Tesoro™ Single Barrel Tequila
- 1/2 part apple brandy
- 1/3 part lemon juice
- 1/3 part lime juice
- 2/3 part Pomegranate-Piloncillo Syrup (see Editor's Note)
- freshly grated ginger
Garnish: Pomegranate seeds, dried apple slice
Directions
- Combine the El Tesoro™ Single Barrel Tequila, brandy, lemon juice, lime juice and Pomegranate-Piloncillo Syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Zest a touch of fresh ginger into the shaker, and shake until chilled.
- Double-strain into a chilled double Old-Fashioned glass over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with a dried apple slice and a few pomegranate seeds.
Editor's Note
Pomegranate-Piloncillo Syrup
1 pomegranate, juiced (or 4 ounces bottled pomegranate juice)
2 ounces Piloncillo Syrup (recipe below)
Combine the pomegranate juice with the Piloncillo Syrup and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Piloncillo Syrup
2 3-inch piloncillo cones, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
In a heavy bottomed pan, add the piloncillo cones and the water and bring to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes until the piloncillo is completely dissolved. Add the cinnamon stick. Remove from the heat and let cool. Strain into a container with a sealable lid and refrigerate.