Cocktail of the Week: Blood Orange Margarita

Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Ingredients

1.5 oz Casamigos Blanco Tequila

¾ oz King's Ginger Liqueur

¾ oz fresh lime juice

¾ oz blood orange juice

1 bar spoon float of El Silencio Espadin Black Mezcal

2 oz salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 blood orange peel for garnish

1 kumquat for garnish

Method

Combine the tequila, ginger liqueur, lime juice and blood orange juice in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Cover and shake well. Rim margarita glass with a blood orange slice, then roll rim in cinnamon-salt mixture*. Pour contents of shaker through a strainer into the glass. Float the mezcal on top. Garnish with a blood orange wheel and a quartered kumquat.

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*To make cinnamon salt, combine 2 oz of salt with 1 flat teaspoon of cinnamon. The cinnamon adds an unexpected twist to the classic citrus flavors, compliments the ginger spice of the liqueur, and brings out the smokey quality of the mezcal for a truly unique interpretation on a classic margarita.

Cocktail created by Francesco Lafranconi, Executive Director of Mixology and Spirits Education at Southern Wine and Spirits.