Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Tequila & Mezcal Cocktails

The Niña, the Piña & the Santa Monica

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Updated 04/3/21
The Nina, the Pina & the Santa Monica in a footed cocktail glass, topped with black pepper and basil oil, served on a red-and-white coaster

Connie and Ted’s

Hoang Nguyen, the beverage director at Connie and Ted’s in Los Angeles, keeps drinks approachable and seafood-friendly to pair with the restaurant’s seafood-centric menu. The Niña, the Piña & the Santa Monica cocktail stays on theme, merging savory, smoky mezcal with pineapple juice, lime juice and honey syrup.

Nguyen tops the cocktail with freshly cracked black pepper and homemade basil oil, which is created by blending blanched basil leaves with vegetable oil until the combo is emulsified into a bright-green oil. The pepper plays up the earthy, peppery notes of the mezcal and complements the pineapple’s sweetness, while the basil oil provides gorgeous visuals and herbal aromatics with each sip.

The Niña, the Piña & the Santa Monica is flavorful and refreshing, perfect for drinking alongside raw oysters, fried clams, lobster roles and other nautical specialties.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces mezcal

  • 1 ounce pineapple juice

  • 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

  • 1/2 ounce honey syrup

  • Garnish: basil oil*

  • Garnish: black pepper, freshly cracked


Steps

  1. Add the mezcal, pineapple juice, lime juice and honey syrup into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until well-chilled.

  2. Double-strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  3. Add a few drops of basil oil onto the foamed surface using an eyedropper, then crack one turn of black pepper over the top.

*Basil oil: Plunge 1 pound basil leaves, with stems removed, into boiling water, and stir for about 10 seconds, then transfer the blanched basil leaves to a bowl of ice water. Remove basil and gently press out excess water. Place basil in a salad spinner to further dry the basil. Add the basil to a Vitamix or other high-speed blender and set on low. Add a splash of vegetable oil and blend. Gradually increase speed while adding small amounts of oil until the Vitamix just starts to break down the basil. Turn the Vitamix to high, adding a little bit more oil, and continue to blend for 60 to 90 seconds. Use as little vegetable oil as possible (approximately 8 to 12 oz). Pour into a cheesecloth-lined chinois resting over a bowl and let gradually strain. Allow to cool, then bottle.