at the bar
BY ELYSE GLICKMAN Creamy frozen coconut margaritas rimmed with sweetened shredded coconut. A coffee cocktail that borrows ingredients from tres leches cake. A spiked alcoholic beverage that mimics horchata and comes in a chocolate-and-cookie crumb-rimmed glass. Those are just a few examples of dessert-inspired cocktails that celebrate Latin American culinary traditions – drinks that can double as desserts and sweeten your bottom line, too.
Dessert-Inspired Cocktails Get a Latin Twist
Frozen Coconut Margaritas PHOTO FROM HUNGERTHIRSTPLAY.COM
THE LIBATION-LATIN DESSERT CONNECTION Classic Latin American desserts and beverages (think tres leches cake, flan, horchata and Mexican hot chocolate) are natural starting points for dessert cocktails. At Reyes Mescaleria in Orlando, Florida, for example, Beverage Director Lorena Castro borrows components from the dessert menu behind the bar, where she turns to tres leches milk to craft the Night Owl – her take on an Espresso Martini. “Instead of vodka, we utilize Ilegal Mezcal Reposado paired with coffee liqueur and the house made tres leches milk mixture that we normally use for a dessert called Güera Cake [a combination tres leches cake and flan],” says Castro. Topping off the cocktail: a sprinkle of Abuelita Chocolate dust. Also on the Reyes Mescaleria menu: the Chai-Chata: chai spice-infused Espolòn blanco, Ancho Reyes, Southern Amaro, Giffard banana and house made horchata – a cocktail the restaurant’s Instagram post claims, “The best way to finish your
