img_7743My recipes on Cocktail Friday are a combination of modified classics and originals — some of which I forage from mixologists, some of which I come up with on my own at home. But today’s is kind of a hybrid: It’s a cocktail I mixed, from a mixologist’s recipe. Last week, I stood behind the bar with David Edessa at Lounge 31 in Highland Park Village, and we recreated one of the restaurant’s fan favorites, which has recently returned to the menu: The Picantitos. I poured and shook it myself, and we modified it some from the standard” recipe (I prefer club soda to Sprite, and upped the jalapeno quotient) but this is one of the more refreshing drinks I’ve had lately — perfect for while the weather is still warm but which would work in the cool of late autumn.
1.5 oz. Tito’s vodka
2.5 oz. sweet and sour mix
4 jalapeno slices
1 basil leaf
Club soda
Making it: Combine vodka, mix and jalapenos in a Boston shaker with ice; “smack” the basil to release the oils and add it in. Shake vigorously. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Fill with soda. garnish with a fresh basil leaf and some more slices.