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.

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!