I don’t know anything about Mexican history, I admit, but I still love Cinco de Mayo. Not just because it’s a great excuse to celebrate my neighbors to the south and in my own town, too. But also because it’s my youngest daughter’s birthday. She’s turning five this year, so it’s a big one. At least for her. And for me.
So I offer you my Cinco de Mayo cocktail, the Grape Ape. Or El Mono Uva. Or whatever the Spanish translation is. I have lived in Houston for fifteen years, and my Spanish is still rudimentary. I certainly don’t know the word for ape, and I can’t tell if it should be el mono or el gorila.
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El Mono Uva: Sotol, Mexican beer, grapefruit |
But that’s beside the point. The point is the cocktail.
To make El Mono Uva, combine with ice:
- 1 1/2 oz sotol (I guess you could use tequila)
- 1 1/2 oz Mexican beer
- 1 1/2 oz grapefruit juice
- 3/4 oz brown sugar syrup
and strain into an ice-filled glass. Garnish it with a piece of grapefruit or a grapefruit peel.
It’s easy, and it works. The sotol mixes well with the other ingredients. The beer gets a bit lost, but it adds a different nose that balances out the citrus and brown sugar.
So celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Grape Ape cocktail. Or El Mono Uva!
haha, el mono uva sounds so much better, that who cares about proper translations.
Going on my list, anything with pink grapefruit goes on the list 😉