The owners of Las Almas Rotas mezcaleria share a few cocktails recipes popular at their Dallas bar.
In the August/September issue’s Western Gourmet article, Tending Tradition, we feature mezcal bar Las Almas Rotas in Dallas. It’s a spirits-forward watering hole — meaning, straight, neat pours and flights of those pours are the usual service — but there are several cocktails on the menu. The most popular cocktail is the El Topo, a take on the West Texas ranch water. But at Las Almas Rotas, the tequila is swapped out for mezcal. The cocktail is named after an iconic film by one of mezcaleria co-owner Shad Kvetko’s favorite filmmakers, Alejandro Jodorowsky. The recipes for El Topo and others are below.
El Topo (Ranch Water)
1 (12-ounce) bottle Topo Chico
mineral water
1½ ounces Arette Blanco Tequila or Gracias a Dios Mezcal Espadín
½ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
Lime wedge, for garnish (optional)
Drink 2 ounces of Topo Chico to make room in the bottle and amuse the palate. Then, add spirit first (to control foaming). Add lime. Garnish with
lime wedge.
El Cuerno Margarita
1½ ounces Arette Blanco
¾ ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
½ ounce Cointreau
½ ounce Damiana tea simple syrup
Orange slice (dehydrated), for garnish (optional)
Add all ingredients, except garnish, to shaker tin with ice. Shake until tin is frosted. Double strain into cocktail coupe. Garnish with dehydrated orange slice.
El Charro
2 ounces chipotle-pineapple-infused mezcal
¼ ounce simple syrup
1 dash Bitterman’s Xocolatl Mole bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
Grapefruit twist, for garnish
Add all ingredients, except garnish, to mixing glass with ice. Stir. Pour over large format ice in double old-fashioned glass. Garnish with grapefruit twist.
For more information on Las Almas Rotas visit the mezcaleria’s website.
Photography: Robert Strickland
From the August/September 2019 issue