October Cocktail of the Month: Two to Mango

 

Cocktail Of the Month: 
A monthly cocktail recipe from your Tizz & Tonic Team

Since we are cocktail enthusiasts (enjoying responsibly of course and never at the sewing machines) and have our studio located in an old cocktail lounge we thought it would be very fitting to share with you some of our go-to-cocktails. Some of these we particularly love to enjoy after a long day of undie making.

So, every month we will bring you a simple, enjoyable recipe. It’s a great way to discover new and old style cocktails and diversify your mental library of drinks. This will surely come in handy next time you're stirring up something delicious for your favourite people. We try to keep each cocktail selection basic since most home bars are not going to have all the necessary ingredients. And because we are just the right amount of fancy.


It Takes Two to Mango.

This is a new cocktail that we’ve been trying out. I chose it fittingly to help keep my fernweh (wanderlust) at bay. As it’s nearing the end of October, our busy Holiday season with Tizz & Tonic is in sight and that means it’s going to be a while before I can slip out of the studio for a little vacation. So, I’m bringing the staycation vibes instead. And nothing says, ‘Let’s kick back and take it breezy’ than a delicious dose of rum, now does it?

Since rum is made from sugar cane and sugar cane is grown in southern tropical areas it fits pretty well to my imaginary vacation - a sweet gulp of heat before greeting the chillier seasons.

 

4 Key Ingredients for The Two to Mango Cocktail

 

• Jalapeno Infused Rum
  

  You can make your own quite easily and by doing so you can turn up or down the desired heat. I am a major fan of dark and spiced rums but for this recipe I infused the peppers with a white rum for its lighter flavor. (See below for tips on infusing your own rum.)
  
  

• Aperol
  

  Aperol is an Italian bitter aperitif with a bright orange color and lightly sweet, citrusy flavor. (Most commonly used in Aperol Spritz.)
  
  

• Fresh or canned mango
  (We used fresh.)
  
  
• Lime juice
  (Best if squeezed from fresh limes.)
  
  
• Ice and a blender
  (Can also be shaken on ice.)

 

How to Prepare:

Drinks should be measured by volume and cocktail recipes are really all about ratios or parts so depending on how much rum you plan on drinking I will make this a ratio based recipe.

2 parts Jalapeño Rum 

1 part Aperol 

1 part Lime Juice

Add mango amount of your choice - remember you can always add more! (And depending if you are using mango puree or fresh you might want to add 1 part simple syrup for extra sweetness.)

Blend or shake it up with some ice

Garnish with a fresh slice of jalapeño pepper or a lime, serve immediately. Close your eyes and pretend you are on the beach! 

 

Easy infused rum: 

Remove stems and seeds from all jalapeños.
Slice.
Add to rum in a closable container, shaking the jar lightly a few times daily.
Infuse for 3-5 days.
Strain and decant.
For a 750 ml bottle of rum use about 5 jalapenos, for smaller quantities adjust jalapenos accordingly.