The Tocayo cocktail at Mírate in Los Angeles is a conversation-starter in a glass. From the Mexican mole base to the garnish—a whole cricket, glossy and golden, perched on a big rock—the drink always elicits a reaction. But if there’s one ingredient bartender Max Reis hopes will spark curiosity among his guests, it’s this ingredient, his proprietary “nogave” syrup, which he calls his “sustainable answer to agave.”
Nogave Syrup
Max Reis | Los Angeles
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 600 milliliters hot water
- 800 grams Demerara sugar
- 280 milliliters (400 grams) orange blossom honey (or coconut blossom nectar, for a vegan alternative)
Directions
- Add the water to a blender and turn on low. Slowly add the sugar.
- When the sugar has dissolved, add the honey and blend until smooth.
- Test the syrup’s Brix (a measure of sweetness) and adjust recipes accordingly. (For a Tommy’s Margarita, for example, use a 50-Brix syrup). Keeps, refrigerated, for 3 months.