SANTERA TEQUILA Winter Cocktail Recipes

This holiday and winter season impress your guests with delightful tequila cocktails. Whether you make drinks with ingredients you have on hand or need to take a quick trip to the grocery store, we have cocktail recipes that absolutely prove tequila is so much more than a summertime spirit. Nate Fishman of Liquor Lab, the hands-on, interactive craft Beer, wine spirits and cocktail event space, recommends Santera Tequila, made from Blue Weber agave roasted in brick ovens in Jalisco, Mexico. Check out the easy to make recipes below and start mixing!

SUGAR AND SPICE MARGARITA (serves 10-12)

-16 oz Santera Blanco

-8 oz Lime

-6 oz Pomegranate Cinnamon Sugar*

-3 oz Water

-Cinnamon sticks for garnish

*Pomegranate Cinnamon Sugar:

6 3" Cinnamon sticks

1 cup Pomegranate juice

1 cup Sugar

Directions: Toast cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan on low heat, about 3-5 minutes, once aroma is present, turn off heat. Add cinnamon sticks to large bowl, stir in pomegranate juice and sugar until mixture is incorporated. Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and pour over ice to serve. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Entertaining Tip: For larger groups you can create an easy-to-pour margarita without the shaking, that is ready to be enjoyed as the guests arrive. Simply dilute the mixture with water by the same proportion that the shaking would have accomplished. For this cocktail it's about 10 percent.

ROSEMARY REPOSADO (serves 1)

-1.5 oz Santera Reposado

-.75 oz Lime

-.75 oz Cranberry Agave*

-1 1" piece Rosemary

-3 Cranberries for garnish

*Cranberry Agave:

-1 cup Fresh or Frozen Cranberries

-1 cup Cranberry juice

-1 cup Agave nectar

Directions: Add all ingredients to shaker. Shake and strain into glass. Garnish with a fresh cranberry.

Entertaining Tip: Rosemary is a savory ingredient when used in holiday cooking. However, if just the oils of the leaves are released, it can add a fresh brightness to the cocktail. Before adding the rosemary sprig to the shaker, rub the leaves between your fingers, pinching just slightly to release the oils.

HONEY DRIP (serves 1)

-2 oz Santera Anejo

-.5 oz Pear honey syrup*

-2 dashes Angostura bitters

-1 Orange twist for garnish

*Pear honey syrup:

-8-10 Pears (any varietal will do)

-2 cups Honey

Directions: Take fresh pears and remove cores and stem. Slice into small pieces then juice or blend into a juice. Mix 1 cup pear juice with 2 cups honey. Stir until honey is incorporated. Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds. Stir and serve on the rocks. Garnish with an orange twist.

Entertaining Tip: This is the drink that reminds us of (or replaces) a holiday dessert such as a warm slice of pear pie with a scoop of caramel ice cream. The notes of caramel come from the Santera Anejo. The pear, honey and angostura bitters provide the pear and baked spice elements of the pear pie.

Product Overview:

Santera Blanco: Santera Blanco is unaged and undergoes a proprietary filtration process to further round out the soft and balanced flavor.

Santera Reposado: Santera Reposado is aged in American oak barrels up to seven months. This unique blend takes on a golden hue while balancing the sweet agave flavors with an aromatic hint of oak and cinnamon.

Santera Añejo: Santera Añejo is aged with extra care up to 16 months in American oak barrels. It is then blended with a touch of extra añejo to create a rich and complex tequila with layers of leather and tobacco aromas.

About Santera Tequila:

Santera is imported by Santera Spirits, LLC and is distilled and bottled by Destilladora del Valle de Tequila Casa Maestri, located in Tequila, Mexico. Santera Tequila is 100% blue agave tequila grown on red volcanic soil of the dormant Volcán de Tequila in the northern highlands of Jalisco, Mexico. Each bottle of Santera Tequila is distilled and matured in French oak barrels for optimal periods as determined by Master Distiller Jose Antonio. The liquid is housed in a minimalistic bottle, made of white flint glass. The complete Santera Tequila portfolio includes Blanco, Reposado and Añejo. Santera Tequila is available throughout New York at fine retailers, bars and restaurants.

For more information about the brand and additional recipes, please visit: https://santeratequila.com/.

Photo Credit: "Honey Drip" Courtesy of Santera Tequila