Bar Deco in Copenhagen reimagines the Margarita with brown butter tequila to create this savory twist that’s almost more like a gimlet
Bar Deco has reimagined the classic margarita into a savory cocktail featuring both tequila and mezcal. Centered on the flavors of Papaya and butter, the drink actually holds more similarities to a gimlet than to its daisy-based original. Bar Manager Bérenger Roth created the cocktail in early 2023 and it pairs well with spicy pastries like a cinnamon roll or cardamom bun. The drink takes at least ten days to make the drink, which uses every.
Owner Peter Krog tells us:
Name the cocktail.
Margarita
What inspired the name? What’s this drink’s origin story?
Currently, our cocktail menu is titled “Re-imagine” which is a reinterpretation of iconic past and present classic cocktails. We use modern flavors and innovative methods to reinterpret everyone’s favorite classics. This menu is also, figuratively speaking, an open invitation for guests to take a step into our kitchen and into all the work/prep that modern bartending requires.
This particular reinterpretation of the Margarita was created by our Bar Manager Bérenger Roth for the Cointreau “Margarita Master” Competition that brought him all the way to the Nordic finale early this year.
What other drinks belong in its family?
Even though the classic margarita is a daisy, here we use a homemade cordial instead of fresh lime juice so we are closer in style to a gimlet. In the daisy family at DECO, we enjoy a good Sidecar or a White Lady.
If you like Agave spirits and Savory cocktails you should try this drink.
What food is this cocktail best served with?
The brown butter and cooked papaya flavors pair well with pastry such as a cinnamon roll or cardamom bun.
Ingredients
This cocktail requires between 10 days and 2 weeks of preparation to be served. The cocktail is centered on the flavors of Papaya and butter. We actually use every part of the papaya from the skin to the seeds. Here is a short presentation of the ingredients that require prep.
– Brown Butter tequila: We infuse Ocho Blanco tequila with the papaya skin for 72h. Then we fat-wash the tequila with brown butter.
– Papaya Cordial: We use the papaya flesh in two ways. We Lacto ferment the flesh until we are satisfied with the flavor. We also slow cook the flesh with butter and agave syrup at 60C in a sous-vide for 1 week. We blend both together with agave syrup and acids (citric, malic, tartaric and lactic) to make the cordial.
– Papaya salt: We dehydrate the seeds and blend them with salt for the garnish.
Recipe
MARGARITA
- 30 mL Brown Butter Tequila
- 20 mL Cointreau
- 10 mL Vago Espadin Mezcal
- 50 mL Papaya Cordial
- Garnish: Papaya Salt Rim
Shake and double strain in a coupe.
