“This drink is an homage to winter holiday traditions amidst the Southern California climate,” says author and bartender Garret Richard. Fittingly, he starts with the bright profile of a summer drink and rebuilds it for colder weather with rich notes of spice.
Richard, who runs the nautical-themed Sunken Harbor Club above Brooklyn’s Gage & Tollner restaurant, spotlights in-season winter citrus in this unusual tropical drink, coupled with smoky mezcal and flash blends it with ice for a “light and velvety” texture, “with a head that sips like Guinness.”
For best results, make the drink in a milkshake machine—a k a a flash blender— which uses a spindle or paddle to mix and aerate. Richard recommends the Hamilton Beach DrinkMaster. In a pinch, a regular blender or immersion blender will do the trick, though it may yield a slightly more watery drink.
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While this citrusy tropical drink features mezcal, which can be smoky, “if you prefer your L.A. without smoke, swap out the mezcal for a pisco such as Macchu Pisco,” Richard advises. (Though to be fair—the mezcal Garret recommends is delightful and not…
