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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Garnish & Rim
Epazote Infusion (makes ~2 oz)
Method
Epazote Infusion (advance 1–2 hours)
Make quick infusion
Lightly bruise the epazote leaves with your fingers to release oils. Place the leaves in a small airtight jar and pour 2 oz neutral spirit (vodka) or mezcal over them. Seal and let steep at room temperature for 1–2 hours for a bright herbaceous note; for a quicker option, steep 15–30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh or coffee filter into a small measuring vessel and discard the solids. You should have about 1.5–2 oz of infused spirit; reserve 0.25 oz for one cocktail. Store extra infusion refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
Cocktail Assembly
Prepare glass
Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks or coupe glass. Spread the coarse sea salt or smoked salt on a small plate and dip the wet rim to coat. If you prefer no rim, skip this step.
Build and shake
In a cocktail shaker add 1 cup of ice, 2 oz blanco tequila, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz agave syrup, 0.5 oz orange liqueur, and 0.25 oz epazote-infused spirit (or epazote tincture). Secure the shaker and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.
Notes
Adjust agave to taste if you prefer sweeter or drier. If you like a smokier profile, make the infusion with mezcal instead of vodka and increase the infusion amount to 0.5 oz. Epazote is potent—start small and increase conservatively.