This Sexy Mezcal Cocktail Contains a Time-tested Aphrodisiac. Here’s the Recipe
March 7, 2018Mezcal’s rising popularity can be credited to its smoky agave flavor, but the spirit just got sexier — and spicier.
The mezcal experts at Gem & Bolt have infused their booze with an herb traditionally considered an aphrodisiac in parts of Mexico. Damiana, a shrub that grows in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, was used by the Mayans to increase sexual pleasure and charge the libido.
Recent studies have confirmed its folkloric qualities, finding that the arousing stimulant’s reputation is based on compounds called flavonoids that reside in the damiana leaf. The aromatic herb has also been used to treat everything from headaches to a nervous stomach.
In honor of the premiere of the movie Gringo, Gem & Bolt created a special cocktail using their signature mezcal-damiana concoction for the opening night fiesta — “The Spicy Gringo.”
Gringo — a mix of dark comedy and action starring David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried and Joel Edgerton — opens March 9.
GEM&BOLT’s SPICY GRINGO
2 oz. Gem & Bolt Mezcal
4 oz. Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice
1 oz. Lime Juice
3-4 Jalapeno Slices, muddled
½ teaspoon agave, to taste
Top with Soda Water
Add ice, garnish with fresh grapefruit, and rim glass with half salt & half sugar
Serves one.