Red or Green?

In 1996, "Red or green?" became our official state question. Stewed, stuffed, roasted, dried, powdered or chopped, the colorful red and green chile peppers accenting New Mexican cuisine proudly set us apart from the rest of the country. Meanwhile, spicy and savory notes are rising trends in cocktails worldwide. Jalapeños, and various other cousins to our chiles, are already widely incorporated into cocktails outside our state borders. Each has its own merits (or at least the cheap thrill of heat), but no other peppers quite represent a culture's identity the way ours do. So, it's time we raise the bar with "Red or green?" in our shakers, too.

Step one: Balance is everything. Even more than creative presentation, the balance of flavors is what makes a drink spectacular. As a chef learns classic cuisine, base your ratios on tried-and-true classic cocktail recipes, some of which go back more than a century.

Step two: Combine flavors that make sense together. The basic rule of pairing is “what grows together goes together.” Local ingredients in a traditional New Mexican meal also play well together in the glass.

Step three: Analyze the ingredients. The chile pod first grows green on the plant. As it ripens, it turns red. Each stage of the pepper has its own unique flavor characteristics:

Green chile: bright, crisp, vegetal

Red chile: earthy, savory, spicy

Tequila is the no-brainer base spirit for a chile cocktail. Made in Mexico from the blue agave plant, blanco tequila is "green," somewhat grassy, with strong earth tones. Reposado and añejo are aged in barrels and mellow, over time, from the wood's influence. Get creative on your own or try this recipe, which blends red and green chile to incorporate the colors of Christmas cheer.

The Santa Fe Christmas Cocktail

1 tablespoon roasted green chile
2 ounces red chile-infused blanco tequila
¾ ounce honey syrup
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice (approx. 1 lime)
½ ounce apple cider
Garnish: Mix powdered red and green chile with kosher salt

Rim a martini glass by rubbing the rim with a piece of cut lime, then dipping it into the powdered chile/salt mixture. Set aside.

Muddle (gently press) the roasted green chile in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add red chile-infused tequila, lime juice, honey syrup and apple cider. Fill with ice, shake well and strain into rimmed glass.

Red-Chile Infused Tequila: Mix one tablespoon powdered red chile with one cup tequila. Chill overnight, and strain through a coffee filter.

Honey Syrup: Heat two parts honey with one part water, stirring often (about three to five minutes). Let cool.

Natalie Bovis is a Santa Fe-based cocktail book author, spirits educator and freelance booze writer. Kiss My Glass will appear twice monthy in these pages.

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