“Let me show you the garnish!” Maria Duran says, dashing to find a piece of candied ginger to adorn her special Medicina Latina cocktail. The fresh drink isn’t really medicine, rather a tongue-in-cheek wordplay created by the effervescent Duran, a Colombian native who has lived in Aruba for over twenty years.

Medicina Latina
Makes 1 cocktail

2 oz. white tequila
2 oz. honey / lime juice / ginger juice mix (see bartender's tips below)

1. Combine the white tequila and the honey, lime, and ginger juice mix in a cocktail shaker.

2. Shake and strain over ice into a rock glass.

3. Garnish with a slice of candied ginger.

1. Duran uses Don Valente white tequila for this cocktail.

2. White tequila is a non-aged tequila, unlike reposado, which is aged two to twelve months in an oak barrel, or an añejo. The freshness of the white tequila enhances the bright aromatics here, but if you can’t find white tequila, you can always substitute. The color of the cocktail will no longer be pale yellow, but darker, based on the type of tequila used.

3. Duran suggests preparing the ginger juice, lime juice, and honey aromatics in advance. Mix equal parts of ginger juice, lime juice, and honey in a shakable jar or bottle. This ensures that the honey isn’t gummy when it’s mixed with the tequila, and it’s easier to measure the two ounces of this peppy mix for the cocktail. Any excess can be refrigerated for 24-48 hours.