Gracias Madre's Maxwell Reis makes Agave Cocktails

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Purista Margarita RecipeMakes 2 cocktailsChile Salt & Agave Syrup1/2 cup Himalayan salt2 teaspoons chipotle powder2/3 cup agave nectar1/3 cup boiling waterCocktails4 ounces blanco tequila or mezcal4 dashes orange bitters2 ounces fresh lime juice3/4 ounce agave syrupChile saltLime peel or jalapeño slice, for the rimMake the chile salt: In a small jar, add the salt and chipotle powder. Store covered for up to 1 month.Make the agave syrup: In a medium jar, add the agave and water and stir until the agave has dissolved into the water. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.Make the cocktails: In a cocktail shaker with ice, add the tequila, bitters, lime juice, and 3/4 ounce of the agave syrup. Shake well. Dip two rocks glasses in the chile salt and add ice. Strain the tequila mixture over the ice and garnish with a lime peel or jalapeño.Oaxacan Cup RecipeMakes 2 cocktailsCocktails4 ounces mezcal1 lime, sliced into wedges12-16 slices of Persian cucumber (about two cucumbers)4-6 slices of jalepeño (about 1 chile)1 1/2 ounces agave syrup (see above)1 cup ice cubesChile salt (see above)1 splash soda waterMake the chile salt: In a small jar, add the salt and chipotle powder. Store covered for up to 1 month.Make the agave syrup: In a medium jar, add the agave and water and stir until the agave has dissolved into the water. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.Muddle cucumbers, lime wedges and jalapeños in a shaker tin. Add agave syrup, mezcal, and ice cubes, and roughly shake.Add a splash of soda water, then pour contents of shaker tin into two glasses.Garnish with cucumber wheel and sprinkle of chile salt.Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at [email protected]!Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/