Go FOURTH and IMBIBE

Helloooo, July!  Honestly, it's the hottest summer I can remember, with no end in sight - BUT there IS a remedy for these HOT, HOT FLASHES in the Summer of 2018 - COCKTAILS!  Check out these refreshing, ethereal drinks that are sure to cool you down, while bringing your spirits UP! 

The Gin Blossom

The Gin Blossom (Fun, delicious, local, muddled) 

What to get:  Fresh Basil Leaves, Agave Nectar, Gin, Fresh Blueberries, Lime Juice, Sparkling Water, Ice, Basil for Garnish 

What to do:  Blueberries are one of the healthiest foods on the planet, which cancels out any negative effects of the gin, making this a nearly perfect cocktail – also, blueberries and basil are in abundance at the Farmers’ Market right now so get ‘em while they’re in season…Simply muddle blueberries, basil, and agave – then shake together with gin, lime juice – pour over ice, top with sparkling water, garnish with basil - and drink those Summer Blues away!

Rosemary, Peach Sangria (Simple, fresh, batched in pitchers)

What to get: Rosé, orange liqueur, rosemary simple syrup, club soda, fresh peaches, fresh blueberries, Meyer lemons, fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish - 

What to do:  I love batched drinks that are perfect for setting out for a summer party, and sangria is one of the easiest – this is so simple to prepare, just make sure you have a couple hours to ensure it’s chilled before serving – simply pour to combine wine, liqueur, syrup, and club soda – add sliced peaches, rosemary, blueberries, and Meyer lemon slices – chill for two hours -  Sip, hiccup, sip - repeat!

Wasted Away Again in Michelada-ville

I lick the rim, instantly causing an involuntary spasm in my cheeks elicited from the combination of citrus, pepper, and salt; my mouth waters, so I part my lips and take a long, slow pull from the frosty glass; g-u-u-u-u-l-p,  g-u-u-u-u-l-p, g-u-u-u-u-l-p;  Mexican lager, lime, salt, umami cascade across my tongue, against my throat, and into my stomach.  I open my eyes, and the dream is gone…

I started drinking micheladas in 2002 at the newly opened Oseguera’s Mexican restaurant in Springdale, owned and operated by a trio of second generation brothers who learned the intricate tools of the trade from the family establishment located in Hot Springs.  Oseguera’s quickly became a weekly destination for me because of the exceptional hospitality, incredibly authentic food, and the house Michelada.  I still fantasize about their higado encellado, or beef liver with caramelized onions, delicately prepared with lard laden refried beans and coarse ground corn tortillas.  But the michelada was, out of the many wonderful items offered, the thing I craved the most.  The first time one of the gregarious brothers brought a tray full out to a table full of friends, some of which hailed from central Mexico, I reached for the sweating, footed, bulbous glass cautiously because I had never heard of such a thing.  The opaque goblet was rimed with chili salt, teeming with foam that ceilinged a dirty brown beer mixture.  I sipped, slurped, and gulped like Harry Dean Stanton emerging from the desert.

There was always a swirl of mystery around the Oseuguera michelada recipe; the boys were as welcoming and accommodating as any I’d ever met, but they were tight lipped and elusive about the ingredients of their house beer cocktail.  In fact, just before publication I contacted Anthony Oseguera, one of the brothers who now owns Mangos taqueria in Fayetteville, in an attempt to procure their coveted recipe, and his response was kind, but as vague as ever regarding the original ingredient.   I always ordered it with Tecate, but it was just as delicious with Negra Modelo; I could decipher fresh lime juice, salt, something spicy, and something earthy, umami.  But what the hell was that earthy, umami component?  I suspect that it could be Maggi, a dark liquid seasoning found in Latin and Asian markets that has a similar consistency and flavor as soy sauce, but is sans soy. 

These days micheladas can be found throughout the High South region at a number of Tex-mex and authentic taquerias, and most offer the base recipe with tomato juice, which I’ve learned is heresy for most diehards.  Although rarely do they compare to the Oseguera recipe, I still order them all the time, La Hacienda in Northeast Fayetteville makes a solid version, and Charley’s taqueria in Springdale makes one filled with a lime, lemon, pickles, meat sticks, and poached shrimp; and even though it seems more than a little superfluous, I order it almost every time I dine there

So, I still think about, fantasize about that first michelada from Oseguera’s, which sadly, subsequently closed a few years later, leaving a pretty substantial gap in the life that defined the culinary me.  It’s true, I’m a nostalgic guy; and I fell head over heels in love with Tammye, who later became my wife, over many sexy, blurry eyed evenings of queso fundido, higaldo  encellado, and the salty, ethereal kiss of the michelada.  It’s my own damn fault….thump thump.

Check out my Ozark Michelada recipe here using Ozark Beer Company’s American Pale Ale - Enjoy!

Ozark Michelada

Ingredients

Salt and Smoked Paprika, for rimming the glass

¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice – probably 3 or 4 medium sized limes

Ice

1 can Ozark American Pale Ale

3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce

3 shakes Cholula hot sauce

1 shake of Maggi

Freshly ground pepper and lime wedge for garnish

Technique

Place enough salt and smoked paprika in a wide, shallow dish to cover.  Rub the rim of the glass with lime wedge, then dip glasses into salt, paprika mix.

Place lime juice, sauce shakes in the glass, mix, add ice, then beer, top with a few grinds of pepper, garnish with lime, serve, enjoy. 

*Keep in mind that it’s perfectly fine to add a splash of tomato juice to this recipe, but please don’t add tomato until after you’ve tried it without – Gulp Gulp!