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This very mandy take on the Cantarito is sweet, fruity and perfect for afternoon sipping.
About the cocktail
You’ve heard of the Cantarito cocktail, the playful orange cousin of the Paloma, now meet the Imperial Cantarito – a mix of Imperial mandy juice and Aussie agave spirit, devised by our good mate Kayla Saito. Let us tell you, it’s delicious. If you’re a little unfamiliar with Kayla’s work, she was part of the opening team of the highly anticipated Molli bar in Melbourne’s Abbotsford. Think rotating cocktail lists, fun snacks and big pastas. She was also the big brains behind the Whisky Pear cocktail we published earlier this year and boy, did it go OFF. So, what’s with the name? Well, as you may have guessed, this cocktail is a twist on the OG Mexican Cantarito. But instead of orange and grapefruit, Kayla’s mixed through Imperial mandarins, giving the cocktail an interesting and nuanced zesty flavour. “The mandarins are little packages, but so full of flavour,” explains Kayla. “And because they are only available half of the year, you need to snap them up – especially in winter when they’re the tastiest.” In terms of taste, the mandies and tequila (or agave spirit – more on that in a moment) are the heroes. “It’s a refreshing and iconic agave-spirit cocktail,” explains Kayla. “But it’s truly all about the citrus.” Sharp and crunchy notes from the spirit play well with the sweet citrus from the Imperial mandarins, while the soda adds texture, diffusing the sweetness from the mandy juice. The salt rim brings everything together – making for a bitey, but sweet and fruity cocktail. “I’d definitely be eating a fresh ceviche and hot fried tostada with this drink,” says Kayla. “Preferably as the sun goes down.” Now, while you could use the usual tequila, Kayla’s opted instead for Act of Treason Blanco Australian Agave Spirit. FYI, tequila can only be called ‘tequila’ when it’s made in Mexico under certain regulations, so ‘agave spirit’ is the name given to the same alcohol now being produced in Australia. This bottle comes out of North Queensland – a spot with surprisingly perfect climatic conditions for growing agave plants – and is produced in much the same way as traditional tequila. But as Matt Slade from Act of Treason recently told us, “We’re not looking to produce a carbon copy; we’re only interested in forging a new way of thinking about agave on the global stage.” With strong notes of lime and tropical fruit, this bottle is an ideal match for Kayla’s creation. As for the soda, the Capi Lime and Agave Soda is a no-brainer.
Watch: How to make Imperial Cantarito
Ingredients: Imperial mandarin juice
6-10 Imperial mandarins White sugar (see method below for amount) Equipment: centrifuge or normal juicer, kitchen scales, strainer
Ingredients: Imperial Cantarito
45mL Blanco tequila or agave spirit 30mL Imperial mandarin juice Lime soda to top (or plain soda water with a squeeze of lime) Glassware: Jarritos clay vessel or highball Garnish: lime and Kosho salt for the glass rim
Method: Imperial mandarin juice
Peel the mandarins and set the peels aside Juice the mandarin flesh and soak the peels in their juice for 15-30 minutes Strain the juice through a fine-mesh strainer Weigh the strained juice then add half as much sugar (for example, for 500g juice, add 250g sugar) Stir to combine and store in the fridge
Method: Imperial Cantarito
Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in salt Add all ingredients to your prepared glass and top with ice Garnish with a wedge or wheel of lime
Kayla’s top tips
Though the assembly of this drink is pretty darn easy – just build everything in a highball or clay vessel – getting the mandarin juice in order will take a bit of time. When it comes to cocktails with any kind of juice in it, fresh is always best, so Kayla urges peeps to have a go at making your own mandy juice at home. If that’s a no-go on the old juicer, opt for a store-bought mandarin juice or, at a pinch, a fresh store-bought orange juice (though this will change the flavour). The mandarin juice recipe calls for a sciencey centrifuge, but we know not everyone has access to that kind of equipment, so any kind of juicer will work – so long as you allow the mandy skin time to diffuse in the juice for fuller flavour and oil extraction. This will give the juice a wonderful depth and complexity, really drawing out all those lovely zesty citrus flavours. According to Kayla, all that’s left is to throw on some TLC, specifically ‘No Scrubs’ and enjoy your Imperial Cantarito next to some snacky ceviche or similar.
