"Campari is a classic aperitif, so I broke down the cocktail to catch the essence of an aperitif." Tuttle says. "The cocktail uses Espolon silver tequila, which lends itself to a lot of cool grapefruit, citrus flavors. Then I went to what I would kind of do if I was going to have a big meal. Lemongrass is a great way to aid digestion, so the syrup I used was lemongrass syrup."
Tuttle finishes the drink by spraying a bottle filled with orange oil through a flame.
"I came up with that for the competition," he says. "As part of the technical judging, they're really big about not using your hands, not touching the glass. So by making a spray bottle and holding a match, I can abide by those rules, and it actually makes a big flame."
A blaze about the size of your head, actually. Watch your eyebrows.
The ingredients:
1.5 oz. Campari
1 oz. Espelon Silver tequila
½ oz. Monin lemongrass syrup
½ Meyer lemon juice
How to make it:
Add all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker, shake well and strain. Zest with an orange peel. Garnish with a stalk of lemongrass and an orange wheel.
