This drink is DTF

I’ve got the antidote for what ails you right here, a perfect potion creation with which to face the escalation. This one comes from New Orleans celebrated bartender T. Cole Newton, who has spent time behind the stick at the venerable Commander’s Palace, Coquette, Loa, Troubador and his own bar, Twelve Mile Limit. He created his version of a “Touch of Evil” while at Coquette. I say “his version” as there are a number of different recipes for a drink with this name. I’m never surprised when a great name is used over and again for different drinks by different sources. It’s almost impossible to copyright a drink, and names only stick when something becomes so popular it finds its way onto other bar menus. Now seems like the perfect time for A Touch of Evil to go … viral.

“In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.” – Albert Camus

Now that's a spicy meatball

Cole’s drink brings the heat with jalapeno infused tequila and brings the sweet with vanilla liqueur and orgeat syrup. I’ve swapped out the vanilla for Italicus, a bergamot orange liqueur, and the orgeat for Amaretto.

For the jalapeno tequila I’m using Soltado, an anejo tequila infused with serrano pepper and cinnamon. It’s out of this world delicious and packs a punch. Hot pepper infusions are easy to do at home as well, just don’t let the peppers sit for too long – taste test every few hours until it’s hot enough for your preference. Cole also only rinses the glass with Campari, but I love what it brings to the drink so increased the amount slightly and added it straight into the mix. The results are sensational, a flavorful and complex margarita with some serious heat that sneaks up on you. You’re going to want to share this one, but don’t! Here’s to keeping your distance, washing your hands, and staying home – it’s time everyone became a home bartender. Be safe and be smart. Cheers! 

I'd quarantine with this pair

DTF (Don’t Touch Face) adapted from T. Cole Newton

1 oz hot pepper-infused tequila (Soltado)

½ oz Amaretto

½ oz Italicus

¾ oz lime

½ oz simple syrup

¼ oz Campari

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Don't forget to give your garnish a face mask.

“This is not a time to keep the facts from the people-to keep them complacent. To sound the alarm is not to panic but to seek action from an aroused public. For, as the poet Dante once said: 'The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” -

John F. Kennedy