Recently, Shake Stir—an online community of bartenders and spirits professionals—held a competition to see who could create the most creative version of the classic Margarita cocktail, using the famous Italian liqueur, Limoncello di Capri. The winner was rewarded with a trip to Capri, spending money for the trip and a one-month feature with Cocktail Courier. Highlighting a different cocktail each month, Cocktail Courier is a subscription cocktail kit service that provides everything you need to make award-winning craft cocktails in the comfort of your own home.
The judges were smitten with bartender Brenda Terry’s creative spin on the traditional Italian dessert, Granita. Using Limoncello di Capri and Azuñia Blanco Tequila, Terry crafted a decidedly adult version of the popular shaved ice treat. Terry is an award-winning bartender at Ciro’s in Tampa, Florida, and was recently named a 2017 Bartender to Watch by Beverage Media.
The Margranita is a spin on the classic Margarita cocktail, but with an unmistakable Italian flavor—incorporating notes of almond and lemon alongside the clean backdrop of tequila. Terry uses Orgeat for a hint of almond sweetness, and expertly adds a pinch of salt to highlight the drink’s complex flavors. Blending the drink with ice gives it the same taste and texture you would find in a classic Granita.
The lemon flavor in the Margranita shines, courtesy of the Limoncello di Capri. Crafted in small batches in Italy, this bright liqueur is made with I.G.P certified (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) lemons, grown on the Sorrento peninsula on the Island of Capri. The dazzlingly yellow limoncello, is crafted using just lemons—no artificial dyes or coloring are used to achieve its tart flavor and vibrant hue.
With fresh and crisp floral notes and a hint of citrus, Azuñia Blanco Tequila, provides a clean base to highlight the zesty lemon flavor of the Limoncello di Capri. Made with 100% blue agave, this smooth tequila is also organic, and is perfect to sip on its own or help round out a more complex cocktail such as the Margranita.
You can find the recipe for the Margranita on the Cocktail Courier website here, and whip up one of your own at home, or consider giving a bottle of Limoncello di Capri and Azuñia Blanco Tequila as a gift for the upcoming holiday season.
Comments are closed.