One Day in Rio: A Split-Base Summer Cocktail

Name: One Day in Rio: A Split-Base Summer Cocktail
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

RECIPE: Stephanie Teslar for Blue Hound, Phoenix

Photo: Lara Ferroni

July 07, 2023

A summery drink brightened with a tangy gastrique.

Forget the beaches of Brazil—as the summer heat beats down, drink maker Stephanie Teslar keeps cool with this breezy mix of cachaça, blanco tequila, and watermelon gastrique. “I love adding vinegar to cocktails,” Teslar says. “It really surprises the palate.”

Ingredients

3/4 oz. cachaça
3/4 oz. blanco tequila
1 oz. watermelon gastrique
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
12 leaves of fresh tarragon
1 oz. club soda

Tools:muddler, shaker, strainer
Glass:double rocks
Garnish:fresh tarragon sprig

Preparation

Gently muddle the tarragon and gastrique in a shaker, then add the remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a glass filled with ice cubes, top with soda, and garnish.

Watermelon GastriqueSimmer 1 cup of white wine vinegar, 4 cups of white sugar, and 1 cup of fresh, strained watermelon juice over medium-low heat for 10–15 minutes, or until reduced by one quarter. Cool before transferring into a jar. Cover and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Makes enough for about a dozen cocktails.