Tequila Fever, courtesy of a new Cocktail Buzz video, and Death and Co.

El Zete Cocktail, paired with Chorizo Sobres.

The Marianne at Midnight.

So check out our new cocktail/appetizer–pairing video on Cocktail Buzz, our Web site. We created a new tequila cocktail (for Paul’s dad) called El Zete (see prior post) with a complex array of flavors that uses two quinquinas (Lillet blanc and Dubonnet rouge), the spicy, bittersweet Bénédictine, and some orange bitters and lemon juice. Who says Margaritas are the only summertime tequila drink? And to go with El Zete, we created a flavor-senastion appetizer we call Chorizo Sobres. It’s a bite-sized wollop of smoked chorizo sausage, peaches, and scallions, all wrapped in a wonton, and deep-fried delicious. We also created another special cocktail called the Marianne at Midnight (for Paul’s mom), a gorgeous blend of scotch, crème de Violette, and Tuaca, and you can check that out too on the same video.

And speaking of tequila, we visited Joaquin Simo, one of our favorite mixologist–bartenders, at Death and Company last week, introducing our LA friend, David Quantic (who was in town working on a documentary) to the blessed watering hole. The tequila cocktails that Joaquin crafted for us were varied in their flavor profiles, as well as their architecture. David started with a Sarramago (a drink named after the Noble Prize–winning novelist) that was kissed with the beguiling sweetness of St-Germain elder-flower liqueur. He followed that with a blastingly spicy jalapeño-infused tequila cocktail that he drank with gusto. If you’ve never been to Death and Co. (in the East Village), you must go; and if you have been before, you must return, because the mixologists and chefs there have created a new cocktail menu, with some of the old favorites, but a whole array of new concoctions to tickle your mind.

And speaking of mind-tickling cocktails, we stopped at Indochine last week on Lafayette for a quick drink. Chris, the bartender was happy when Steve ordered the Black and Blue, one of his cocktails he created “one day when I was bored.” Well, sometimes ennui brings out the best in people, and the Black and Blue is a sweet and tangy mix of rye, Chambourd raspberry liqueur, fresh muddle berries, among other things. If you see Chris at Indochine, tell him we told you to park yourselves at the bar and whip you up his bruiser of a cocktail.

On a side note, Dumante Verdenoce, who makes Dumante pistachio liqueur, responded very quickly to our concerned bout the cork they used in their product. While we were shooting our Universe video with the lovely Paige Turner and Gracie Mansion, the cork broke and bits fell into the liqueur. Alas, we couldn’t use their fancy bottle in the video. So we wrote them our concern and they immediately got back to us and told us that they are now using a more reliable cork. So do go out and get some Dumante and try a Universe today! It's an amazing liqueur, not unlike amaretto in its nutty sweetness, but a flavor all its own. It’s crazy-good with ice cream as well.

photos © Steve Schul, Cocktail Buzz