Jay Schroeder created this beer-and-tequila cocktail for Frontera Grill in Chicago. He sweetens it with a syrup made from panela, a dark, molasses-y Latin American sugar (known as piloncillo in Mexico). Schroeder spices the syrup with cloves and ginger—“flavors that remind me of baking with my mother
at Christmastime,” he says.
Slideshow: More Tequila Cocktail Recipes
Recipe from Food & Wine Cocktails 2015
How to Make It
Pour the beer into a large chilled wineglass. In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, Panela Syrup and lime juice. Fill the shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into the wineglass and garnish with the orange twist.
Notes
Panela Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine 10 ounces chopped dark panela (a.k.a. piloncillo or unrefined cane sugar), 1/3 cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger, 2/3 cup water, 2 teaspoons ancho powder, 1 1/4 teaspoons whole cloves and the zest from 1 orange. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the panela is dissolved and the syrup is very fragrant, about 7 minutes. Let cool, then pour through a fine strainer into a jar. If desired, strain the syrup again through cheesecloth to remove any residual ancho powder. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Makes about 8 ounces.