El Santito, the “hidden” speakeasy cocktail bar within Glasgow’s Latin American restaurant, El Santo, is gearing up to celebrate World Cocktail Day which falls on 13th May.
Already known for its amazing selection of some of the more unusual types of Margarita cocktails, El Santito, which showcases Patron Tequila, will be showcasing the delicious Verdita Margarita, a version made with mint, pineapple & coriander.
“Traditionally served as a palate cleanser in Mexico, or an accompaniment to a straight shot of tequila, a Verdita cocktail is made with pineapple juice,” said General Manager of El Santo, Panos Dimou. “Plus, it has a sister cocktail, the Sangrita, made with pomegranate, tangerine, or mango. Both of these cocktails are thought to have originated to use up local juice!”
Panos added it was essential to add spice; “We sometimes use jalapenos, or you could use red pepper for a milder hit.”
As he went on to explain, “Customers will find the largest selection of Margaritas in Glasgow here in El Santito, with our skilled mixologists on hand to prepare the classic Margarita, alongside some of the more unusual versions of this iconic cocktail.”
“As well as the Verdita, why not try a Strawberry & Habernos Margarita, or the “Tommy” , made with orange agave, lime juice and Ocho Blanco Tequila?”
“World Cocktail Day is a hugely exciting calendar event for us at El Santo & El Santito – we’re always looking to bring something fresh and unusual to the cocktail menu,” continued Panos.
El Santito also offers Margarita Masterclasses where you can learn to master this iconic cocktail from just £25 per person, a fantastic interactive experience for a small group.
“If you want to try your own cocktail creation, or have something in mind that is not on the menu, our mixologists will make anything up for you – we love to experiment, so just feel free to ask,” said Panos.
“World Cocktail Day may be the day that you discover a new favourite drink!”
Panos finished by saying that he and his team looked forward to welcoming guests to El Santito – and El Santo – throughout May which has a non-stop calendar of amazing food, drink and entertainment scheduled.
“You’ll find all the colour and vibrancy of Latin America here as we have our own in-house dancers and musicians performing throughout May at the weekends,” he said.
“Food-wise, you can enjoy a delicious meal encompassing all the flavours of South America. And on Sundays we’re delighted to still be offering our very popular Brazilian Rodizio, showcasing mouthwatering meat skewers!”
Further details on social media at https://www.facebook.com/elsantoglasgow,
and https://elsanto.co.uk/el-santito/
Panos has shared his recipe for a stunning Verdita Margarita:
For the Verdita mix :
- 1 ltr of pineapple juice
- 100 ml of lime juice
- 100 grams Coriander with the stems
- 50 grams of mint leaves, ( no stems)
- 25 grams jalapeño
- You can scale up or down depending on the number of people you are serving. This will yield 22 drinks approximately.
- In a blender blend all the ingredients together for 15-20 seconds.
- Strain through a kitchen filter or sieve (you can keep the leftover herbs and dry them and mix them with salt for a tasty seasoning) and keep the juice in the fridge. (It will change colour after a while, so prepare just before serving. Here we preserve it with a tiny amount of ascorbic acid).
For the drink: - 40 ml of your favourite tequila
- 10 ml ancho Reyes chilli liqueur
- 50 ml Verdita mix.
- In a rocks glass build the ingredients over ice and stir well to incorporate. Garnish with cucumber and mint.