10 Food & Drink Summer Tipples Perfect paloma D


Tequila expert Deano Moncrieffe reveals why the heady grapefruit cocktail is getting top billing this summer. Words: Fliss Freeborn


eano Moncrieffe knows a thing or two about tequila. He’s the founder of Hacha, London’s first


agaveria, and creator of the award- winning Mirror Margarita. We had a chat with Deano about the season’s hottest cocktail — the paloma.


What originally made you think of starting an agaveria? I’ve specialised in agave spirits for the past 20 years, working for some of the world’s biggest tequila and mezcal brands. I’ve spent a lot of time travelling all over Mexico and formed an emotional connection to agave there. I spent time learning as much as I could and really immersing myself in the culture. In Mexico, tequila isn’t for shotting, it’s a drink to be sipped with friends — a taste to be savoured. When the demand for tequila started to rise in the UK about eight or 10 years ago, I decided to strike out on my own and open my bar.


What actually is agave? Agave is a cousin of the aloe vera plant. Tey can grow up to 15-20ft across, but between 80-90% of the plant is underground. Agave is an integral part of Mexican culture and is known locally as ‘the plant of life’, because as well as producing alcohol, it has a lot of uses: the strong leaves were used for making houses and the spines that protect the plant from animals were used to make needles for sewing clothes. Agave spirits are made from the


Paloma cocktail PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY


piña — the heart of the plant. It’s harvested, chopped up, cooked and then the juices are pressed out, fermented and distilled. Tere are five main types of agave spirit:


want to unwind and let go of the day’s affairs and this is when you may consider a little tipple, but know that you probably shouldn’t. World-renowned neuroscientist,


Sentia Spirits: alcohol-free cocktails with a buzz I


t’s been a long day and you’re in the garden, finally enjoying the beautiful summer evening. You


Professor David Nutt (former UK drug tzar) and his team have designed a boozeless, botanical drink, meaning you can enjoy a guilt-free buzz. Since his uni days, Professor Nutt


has worked to discover a safer alter- native to alcohol and in the early 2000s, the UK government tasked


him with providing a 25-year vision for the future of alcohol, where he first introduced the idea. David’s team went on to identify the GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) system as the key target for alcohol in the brain and subsequently began formulating a synthetic ingredient, Alcarelle, that mimics the effects of alcohol without the ethanol. Alcarelle is in development and testing and GABA Labs hopes to launch Alcarelle by 2027 to be licensed to the global drinks industry to create a new generation of alcohol-free drinks. Alongside Alcarelle, GABA Labs


has formulated a botanical drink that can be enjoyed now, which targets this same neurotransmitter. Enter the world’s first GABA Spirits! SENTIA’s Red and Black Spirits give the same convivial effect as Alcarelle, to a lesser degree, using GABAergic plant ingredients. SENTIA is an all natural, alco- that gives a buzz


hol-free spirit


likened to one to two units of alcohol. Te proprietary blend of plant ingre- dients target GABA in the brain, which could contribute to a calmer nervous


system. When we drink


alcohol, it targets this same GABA system, making us feel relaxed and more sociable after a drink. You know that sensation when the first drink hits, shoulders unclench and conversations broaden?


sentiaspirits.com


SENTIA RED FLORAL AND RICH WITH A SPICED BERRY FLAVOUR MOOD: DESIGNED TO HELP YOU RELAX AND CONNECT


SENTIA BLACK SMOOTH AND EARTHY WITH A SPICY FINISH MOOD: DESIGNED FOR FOCUS AND CONVIVIALITY


SENTIA STRAWBERRY MOJITO


Grab your favourite glass and muddle:


25ml SENTIA Red Handful mint leaves 3 strawberries 4 lime wedges 2 teaspoons of sugar


Fill the glass with ice and add soda to top.


Promotional Content • Saturday 17 June 2023


tequila, mezcal, raicilla, sotol and bacanora, each with their own unique process. Mezcal is like a smokier version of tequila, because the piña is cooked in a wood fire pit in the ground for about five days before it’s distilled. Agave grows all over Mexico,


but there are so many different microclimates and regions that lots of factors impact the end flavour. For example, highland tequila is sweeter and more citrussy, but tequila grown in the lowlands is more herbal.


Deano Moncrieffe PHOTOGRAPH: LX PR DEANO’S PALOMA


• 50ml of tequila • 25ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice


• 10ml lime juice (or squeeze a lime wedge)


• Pinch of salt • Top up with grapefruit soda


Method: Pour all the ingredients (except the soda) into a highball glass (any will do, if you don’t have a high- ball to hand) and give them a quick stir to ensure they’re all properly mixed together. Add ice along with the grapefruit soda and then stir it again before serving. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and enjoy!


The paloma is very popular in Mexico and is becoming better- known here in the UK, too. Can you talk us through it? Essentially, a paloma is a base spirit of tequila topped up with grapefruit soda, although there are a lot of variations. In Mexico, you can buy cans of grapefruit soda called Squirt, which is used as a mixer — a bit like how we do gin and tonic over here. Using lemon or lime flavour as a mixer can overpower the more subtle flavours in good tequila, but grapefruit has a different set of essential oils, which complement rather than flatten its herbal notes. Grapefruit really allows the flavour of the tequila to shine through. At my bar [Hacha], we do a


modern take on a paloma with a base of tequila, plus pink mead, yuzu and spiced cactus syrup, topped up with grapefruit soda.


What’s your tip for making perfect palomas at home? Always use 100% agave-based tequila — check the label as it will really affect the end result. Another secret is to add just a tiny pinch of salt. It makes all the difference.


SENTIA Spirits are used just like


an alcoholic spirit, a single shot (25ml), served over ice with your favourite mixer. If you fancy putting some GABA into your day, here’s our favourite SENTIA tipple for summer. Strawberry Mojito using the SENTIA Red variant.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36