All aboard! Connie and Ted’s is a super cute West Hollywood spot serving up classic New England fare – and now they have a new seasonal land and sea-inspired cocktail menu. Featuring unique ingredients from around the world, the drinks are all worth tasting, especially the mezcal-based The Niña, The Piña, and the Santa Monica. (also, props for the creative name!)
“Our mixologist Deidre West came up with the drink when I asked for a cocktail using Bruxo #1 Mezcal,” explains Beverage Director, Hoang Nguyen. “I wanted to use that particular product because of its approachable smokiness, as I found that a lot of our guest new to mezcal where overwhelmed by that factor.”
With this new drink, mezcal is approachable and easy to drink – even for first-timers.
“When we were workshopping the drink, we discussed ingredients that played well with mezcal, we knew we wanted some fruit and herbaceousness,” continues Nguyen. “Pineapple and basil fit the bill, but something was missing. The cracked pepper was the final addition, giving just enough heat to bridge the agave and the chill of the glass.”
The Niña, The Piña, and The Santa Monica Recipe
- 2 oz. Bruxo #1 Mezcal
- 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
- .75 oz. Lime Juice
- .5 oz. Honey Syrup
- Basil Oil (see recipe below)
- Black Pepper Mill
Add all ingredients except basil oil and pepper. Shake over ice. Double strain into a chilled glass. Add a few drops of basil oil onto foam, and finish with 1 turn of pepper mill.
Homemade Basil Oil Recipe:
Blanch 1 lb. of basil leaves and squeeze out as much water as you can, patting dry. Blend the basil in a Vitamix, slowly adding oil approximately 8 oz. of oil till the mixture breaks down. Continue blending until steam arises from the Vitamix (you are trying to drive out all the water). Strain through a cheesecloth, and fill a dropper bottle with it.
Connie and Ted’s details
8171 Santa Monica Blvd., 323-848-2722, connieandteds.com, @connieandteds
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