Tears Of Llorona Recipe

Make charred ancho chile syrup

Toast the dried ancho chile briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Remove seeds if you prefer milder heat. Tear chile into pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Pour 1/4 cup warm water over the pieces and let sit 10 minutes to rehydrate. In a small saucepan combine the rehydrated chile (with soaking liquid) and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2–3 minutes to infuse, then remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing to extract syrup. Discard solids. Cool syrup; measure 1/4 oz (about 1/2 tablespoon) per cocktail and refrigerate leftover syrup up to 2 weeks.

Prepare rim and garnish

On a small plate combine 1 tsp kosher salt with 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt. Rub the lime wedge around the outside rim of a chilled rocks or coupe glass then dip the rim lightly into the salt mixture to coat. For garnish, thread a dehydrated lime wheel or a thin grapefruit peel onto a pick and set aside. If using fresh lime wheel, dry it slightly so it won't dilute the drink as quickly.

If using egg white: add 2 oz (recipe proportion: egg white = 0.5 oz) egg white to a cocktail shaker (or 1/2 small egg white). Add the tequila, mezcal, lime juice, grapefruit juice, agave syrup, 2 dashes bitters and 1/4 oz charred ancho chile syrup to the shaker with no ice. Perform a dry shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds to emulsify and create foam.

Add 6 ice cubes to the shaker and shake again hard for 12–15 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted. If not using egg white, combine all liquid ingredients in the shaker with ice and shake 12–15 seconds.

Double-strain the cocktail into the prepared chilled glass over fresh ice or into the glass without ice (coupe) for a neater presentation. Use a fine mesh strainer to remove small ice shards and any solids from the syrup or egg white.

Finish with 2 small drops of bitters on the foam (if present) and drag a toothpick through them for a subtle design. Carefully place the dehydrated lime wheel or grapefruit peel on the rim or floated atop the foam. Optionally sprinkle a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt on the foam to enhance the savory-ancho character.

Serve immediately. Advise guests that the drink balances smoky mezcal, rich añejo, citrus, and gentle chile heat—sip slowly to appreciate layers.