Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
As you order that cocktail, take a closer look at the ingredients—you might find global spirits with a whole history and traditions. Here are a few you might encounter, and some that might be more visible this year.
Tequila is one of the more well-known global spirits, sourced from blue agave grown around Tequila, Mexico, and surrounding regions, produced there from the late 1700s. Its popularity has grown exponentially, and you’ll find it in the Spicy Cucumber margarita at Rosa Mexicano at Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, where reposado tequila has been infused with jalapeños and serranos, or the Smoked Maple margarita at Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at MGM Grand with Montezuma tequila and barrel-smoked maple syrup.
Mezcal is also distilled from agave. (In fact, tequila got its start as mezcal, but now uses different methods of production.) Although it has a characteristically smoky profile, that is just part of the charm, says Tim Weigel, a mixologist at Circa Casino & Resort who will be leading a session at this week’s Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas. “It is quite versatile even though the public perception is that it is just a ‘smoky tequila.’” Find it at Swingers Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay in the Paloma Prima with Dos Hombres mezcal, Aperol aperitivo, Fever-Tree sparkling grapefruit soda and lemon juice; or at Crush at MGM Grand in the El Diablo with Mezcal Verás, Amaro Montenegro, hibiscus, morita chili pepper and lime juice.
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
Another desert spirit is sotol, a clean, bright spirit made from the plant of the same name. Those plants take 25 years to mature, and each produces only one bottle of sotol. “Sotol is really making some inroads. It responds well to vegetal and herbal ingredients, giving you that desert flavor while providing a drier option that the public clamors to be served,” says Weigel.
It’s certain you’ve heard of rum, but what do you know about it? Sugar cane-based spirits have been made for thousands of years in the Southeast Asia island nations. Rum made its way to the Caribbean by the 1700s, where an association with sailors became well-known. It’s now distilled in many locations, including Zacapa, Guatemala. That’s where Zacapa Solera 23 was born in 1976 for the 100th anniversary of the town. The rum is distilled from the first pressing of the sugar cane, and woven petate bands around each bottle help support more than 700 textile producers. Try it in The Fireside Fashioned at The Tangier at SAHARA Las Vegas, which features Zacapa Solera 23 rum and Licor 43. An unusual option for a rum experience is the Fruit & Pebble with Diplomático Planas rum, Taylor Fladgate tawny port and Fruity Pebbles syrup at Glass Bar at Planet Hollywood.
Similar to rum is cachaça, a fermented, sugar cane-based spirit dating from the 1500s that is wildly popular in Brazil. Sip it in The Modifier at Bazaar Mar at The Shops at Crystals.
Photo by: Christopher DeVargas
Taste two separate Japanese ingredients in the TLM at Golden Gai at The Venetian, where sake, the classic rice-fermented beverage, and Suntory’s Haku vodka are mixed with lemon and lychee juice. Haku vodka is filtered through bamboo charcoal, yielding slightly sweet tones. Japan has also gained recognition in the spirits world for its whiskies. The earthy spirit can be experienced at Resorts World Las Vegas’ Carversteak in the Sakura Harmony, with Tenjaku blended Japanese whiskey and Matsui Shuzo umeshu (a Japanese plum wine).
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