No matter how you feel about the current state of American politics, I think we can all agree that when nationalism gets a bit too heavy, we all need an escape. A brief time, a sun-shiny day, a commemorative week in which we can hang up our opinions, views and angsts for the time-being and do something collectively celebratory. It's enough to keep us from going completely insane and just enough of a buffer to hold us over till the next national outrage, public outcry or imperialist move. Where would we be without the ideas and implementation of National Days?
Well for one, we'd have one less thing to enjoy and one less thing to reminisce on. Be it National Hot Dog, Banana Creme Pie or Snickerdoodle, these days seek and serve to tell us not to take ourselves so seriously and to remember to relish and imbibe in the wonderful delicacies of life. Not that I needed a reason, but National Tequila Day is another great excuse to drink up (responsibly), wax on about the days when you could do shots like a pro and celebrate that agave-based spirit that gave us margaritas and sunrises.
Oh, did I mention that today, July 24th, is National Tequila Day?!? The perfect day to discover this wonderful spirit, relive its revel-making goodness or unfold the layers of its herbal depth. The absolutely wonderful VIVA XXXII Tequila is an award winning tequila that truly and excellently shows the range of the spirit in a platform way. From their meticulously blended clear and pure Joven to their oak barrel six month-aged Reposado to their three year-aged deep Extra Añejo, VIVA XXXII Tequila has a cultivated complexity that comes through with a purity and richness that sets it above the rest as a benchmark tequila.
Since it is National Tequila Day after all, I couldn't let the occasion pass without sharing a cocktail recipe with you folks. For this cocktail, I used VIVA XXXII Reposado and since it's the high time of Summer, I also decided to use a refreshing seasonal staple. Watermelon! Check out the cocktail recipe below that I have dubbed the 'VIVA Melon Fix'.
VIVA MELON FIX
1 1/4 ounces VIVA XXXIII Reposado Tequila
1 1/2 cups Fresh Grilled Watermelon
1 ounce Fresh Lime Juice
6-8 sprigs Fresh Mint
2 ounces Simple Syrup
Ice cubes
Chipotle Peppered Salt
Heat grill or grill pan to about 350 degrees then coat the grill surface with olive or grapeseed oil. Lay down small/medium wedges of watermelon (about 2-3) and grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Let the wedges rest for a couple of minutes (cut a small wedge from one of the wedges and set it aside) then cut the wedges off the rind and place them into a blender and chop them until juiced. Then strain the juice and toss the pulp.
Next, in a cocktail shaker add the fresh mint, simple syrup (I did mine with coconut sugar) and fresh lime juice then lightly muddle together. Fill a mason jar with ice then pour in contents from the shaker, add watermelon juice and tequila then stir. Add the small wedge of the grilled watermelon that was set aside to the rim of the jar, lightly sprinkle it with a dash of the chipotle peppered salt and then add a sprig of fresh mint as a garnish and serve.
The smokiness of the watermelon juice hits you right away, but is balanced nice by the syrup and the weight of the tequila. I chose the VIVA XXXII Reposado because of its herbal and roasted flavor which I thought would give the cocktail a grown and mature weight to the airy freshness of the watermelon. The syrup is a nice touch since grilling the watermelon took down the sweetness but the flavor remained with a newly added smokiness. The mint and lime add nice pops of freshness in a verdant way as does the dash of chipotle peppered salt in a briny/spicy way.
Well I've helped you solve one tequila conundrum for today, just make sure you schedule the Über beforehand to avoid any other since it always best to drink responsibly. VIVA XXXII Tequilas are available at your finer wines and spirits retailers. Enjoy National Tequila Day!
www.VIVA32.com
