#verdita

Tiki (Not Tiki) Night teaser #7:

Shrinebuilder (Green Chartreuse, Verdita, etc.)

I first came across the Verdita a couple years ago while reading a post by Jason at Embury Cocktails. Here's what caught my eye:

The verdita is a cousin to the better known sangrita, a mix of tomatoes, peppers and orange juice that comes in the same one-two punch set-up: a shot of tequila, followed by an equal sized shot of the pureed mix. But where the Sangrita mellows the tequila somewhat, the Verdita works from a spicier palette, adding unexpected and bracing layers of flavor and sensation. The Verdita catches up with the tequila just about mid-sternum, right next to your heart and in between your lungs. There’s a burst of heat, then an aftershock—an alive, fresh rush.

It instantly takes you one step towards the void, but it heals the wound it creates, sealing that rift in the time-space continuum as soon as it's created. The intense green vibrance of  cilantro and mint pumps b-vitamins into the blood while the peppers send endorphins rushing into your chest alleviate the burn—what burn lingers is bracing, reminding you that you are alive and that you can feel pain, and that you're tough enough to sweat it out until it turns into pleasure, which it absolutely (will). And the pineapple juice bestows a fogiving sweetness on the volatile mixture. Blessing and curse, virgin and whore, cause of and solution to all life's problem's.

After reading that, who the heck wouldn't want to try the Verdita? I made my first batch the very next day and have been perfecting the recipe ever since; and tonight we introduce Chicago to the Verdita!

Stay tuned to our blog. In the coming days Rob and Eric will be discussing some of their creations for the new Whistler cocktail menu.