Oak Margarita Cocktail
► by Owner Ricardo Chirino and Bartender Carlos Arias of Oak Restaurant & Bar
Ricardo Chirino captured the essence of Oak Restaurant & Bar in a single cocktail. “I wanted to have a signature drink that represents the restaurant,” says Chirino.
Ricardo Chirino
Owner
Oak Restaurant & Bar
Carlos Arias
Bartender
Oak Restaurant & Bar
“And I think that the Oak Margarita represents Oak because there’s an explosion of tastes.” Every sip of an Oak Margarita offers a medley of complex—yet warm and familiar—flavors. “That’s what Oak is,” he says. A mix of international and South Caribbean flavors with balanced kicks of heat, acidity, richness, and earthiness—all inspired by fresh ingredients.
The first hint of spice in the Oak Margarita hits when you bring the Tabasco-salted rim to your lips. Next, a rush of sweetness follows from the first sip of the fresh mango juice (you may also detect a note of tartness from the splash of lime juice). And finally, a second wave of smokey heat from the ancho chili liqueur.
Like the fragrant nuances in each sip of the cocktail, every dining experience at Oak offers a new experience for you to savor. “Sometimes it’s early in the afternoon and you come to try some snapper,” Chirino says. “Then on a different night, you come to try a steak. Or in the middle of the week, you come to try the pasta.”
Most nights you’ll find Chirino at the door seating guests at the Oak and supporting the team of talented bartenders and knowledgeable kitchen and waitstaff. Chances are they’ll recommend the Oak Margarita as their standout crowd-pleaser but will guide you through their selection of quality spirits featured on the cocktail menu and the extensive wine selection to find the perfect pairings for your dish.
Oak Margarita
Makes 1 cocktail
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Ingredients
Tabasco salt
Lime wedge
½ oz ancho chili liqueur
1 oz mezcal
½ oz fresh lime juice
3 ½ oz fresh mango juice
Cooked maraschino cherries
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Coat the bottom of a saucer or shallow bowl with Tabasco salt.
Wet the rim of a highball glass or a rock glass with a lime wedge.
Hold the wet-rimmed glass at a 45-degree angle to the Tabasco salt. Dab the rim into the salt while slowly turning the glass.
Combine ancho chili liqueur, mezcal, fresh lime juice, and fresh mango juice in a cocktail shaker.
Add ice and shake the cocktail.
Strain the cocktail into the Tabasco salt-rimmed glass with fresh ice.
Garnish with the original lime wedge and three cooked maraschino cherries on a skewer.
IT’S ALL IN THE GARNISH
Tabasco Salt
“It’s like being kicked twice,” Chirino says when he talks about Tabasco salt mixing seamlessly with ancho chili liqueur and sweet fruit juice in a cocktail. The unique Tabasco salt rim is an element of the Oak Margarita that keeps you on your toes—while also wanting to come back for more.
Instructions
Combine 250g of salt and 100g of Tabasco Sauce in a blender. Pulse the blender for a few seconds or until Tabasco and salt are fully combined.
Shake the Tabasco salt out into your preserving container of choice. Serve on the rim of a cocktail glass.
Maraschino Cherry Reduction
The Oak Margarita is served with maraschino cherries— but not in the way you may expect maraschino cherries to show up in a cocktail. The Oak switches out plump, sweet cherries for cooked, subdued cherries as a garnish.
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring one jar of maraschino cherries to boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until the cherry liquid is thick (consistency of syrup).
Cool and serve as a cocktail garnish.
