Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill and Ilegal Mezcal hosted a Mezcal Cocktail Competition in honor of National Mezcal Day on October 21 at the restaurant’s New Haven location. Bartenders created a custom cocktail for the event, with Grace Perez from Sherkaan Indian Street Food taking first place for her creation, Coatlicue. The second-place winner was Steve Corrales from Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill and third place went to Cameron Harris from Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill’s Fairfield location. The judges were Executive Chef Arturo-Franco Camacho, Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill and Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill; Phil Fortunato, Ilegal Mezcal; and Joe Mele, Brand Advocate, Ilegal Mezcal and General Manager, Coastal Long Island. The Halloween-themed event also featured complimentary mezcal tastings and giveaways.
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- Ilegal Mezcal is made in Oaxaca, Mexico, by small family-owned distillers using traditional production methods and employing sustainable practices.
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- First-place winner Grace Perez from Sherkaan Indian Street Food making her winning cocktail, Coatlicue. Perez infused Ilegal Joven with dried chile de árbol, adding eucalyptus to a guayaba strawberry jarabe, Campari, pulque, white guayaba juice and Jarritos Guayaba soda, garnished with freeze-dried strawberries, sal de gusano, which is made from drying and crushing maguey worms with spices and salt, and a touch of sage.
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- Third-place competitor Cameron Harris, Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill’s Fairfield location; Second-place competitor Steve Corrales, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill; and First-place winner, Grace Perez, Sherkaan Indian Street Food.
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- All from Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill except where indicated: Luigi Rapuano, General Manager, New Haven; Executive Chef Arturo-Franco Camacho; Cameron Harris, Bar Manager Fairfield; Phil Fortunato, Ilegal Mezcal; Donna Moreggi, Director of Operations; Steve Corrales, Shell & Bones Oyster Bar and Grill; and Joe Mele, Brand Advocate, Ilegal Mezcal and General Manager, Coastal Long Island.
Images provided by Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill.
