The Chimayó cocktail — the signature drink of Rancho de Chimayó restaurant, invented by the Jaramillo family and now considered a New Mexican classic — combines Cuervo gold tequila, unfiltered apple cider, Cassis, and lemon juice. It was created to celebrate New Mexico's apple orchards (the high-altitude orchards of the Rio Grande valley produce some of the finest apples in the American Southwest) and the restaurant's own tradition.
- **The unfiltered apple cider:** Not apple juice — unfiltered cider, with its slight cloudiness from the apple's natural pectin and tannin, provides the complexity and slight sourness that filtered juice cannot. - **The Cassis:** Black currant liqueur — provides colour and the berry depth that bridges the tequila and the apple. - **The tequila:** Gold (aged) tequila — its vanilla and caramel barrel notes complement the apple without overwhelming it. - **Service:** Over ice, with a wedge of fresh apple — the garnish reinforces the ingredient and provides something for the drinker's hands.
Rancho de Chimayó