There was a time in my life where tequila and I did not get along at all. That time was from ages 22 to 42. Just now. Just now have I been able to stomach tequila. In a previous post I mentioned my mistake when I drank too much tequila in Las Vegas. One of the things that helped reintroduce me to tequila are my friends. Rene and Kevin introduced me to the infused tequila I’d mentioned in that same post post. Knowing I’d want to turn this infused tequila into a cocktail I asked Rene where the infusion came from and she stated the following. “It was my favorite drink at Taco Boy in Folly Beach, SC in the early 2000’s. When we moved to Germany Kevin researched the recipe. Who knows which one it was, but he tweaked it and came up with this one!” I can appreciate anyone who is down to work on a liquor infusion. I’m still not sure what the drink was as I am assuming she wasn’t drinking straight tequila, but it’s a start!
Now that the infusion is ready to drink I’ve been trying to figure out an infused tequila cocktail. When I got the recipe for the infusion from my friends they also included how they like to drink it. Kevin recommended sipping on it, adding a splash of lime juice or mixed with just a bit of Simply Limeade. I suppose we’re getting into margarita territory with the lime, but the infused tequila I’m sure it’ll cut down on the tart lime flavor.
Initial Mixing and Tasting
As a selfish gift to Rene I brought her some of the infused tequila and a bottle of Simple Limeade. She asked if I wanted to try it with her and after a dignified hesitation of course I said yes! I’d yet to try it and wanted to sample it with the person who introduced me to the recipe. We ended up with about an ounce of the tequila infusion and a couple ounces of limeade over ice. I thought it was delicious! She thought it was too strong. We ended up adding some club soda to our concoction with a lime wedge.
I liked the initial flavors together as I’m happy with a heavier on the booze drink, but I think what we put together with ended up being pretty great. With that in mind I started working on ratios. Rene mentioned that she’s a equal parts tequila infusion, Simply Limeade, and club soda fan. Her cocktail is pretty delicious but I really wanted to enjoy the infusion and wasn’t getting too much of that flavor. Especially considering I have not been a fan of tequila for so long. I was so happy to finally have one I could enjoy!
Things to Keep in Mind
Deciding ratios with this cocktail I wanted to keep in mind that I wanted a refreshing drink that was a bit spritzy. I tried it a few different ways, with various degrees of success. In the end I think I found a good mix and hope that you’ll enjoy it! If you’re feeling like you want your drink a bit sweeter I’d suggest going lighter on the club soda and a bit heavier on the Simply Limeade and/or tequila. I happen to like mine with some fizz to it and settled on a heavier pour of tequila but also more club soda than Simply Limeade. I’d say play around with it and see what you like. One other note is that I think my tequila infusion was a bit too sweet and I think next time I will use less vanilla bean to get more of the pineapple flavor out of it.
Lanikai Infused Tequila Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1½ ounce Infused Tequila
- 1 ounce Simply Limeade
- 1-3 ounces club soda
- 1 Lime wednge
Instructions
- In a rocks glass with ice combine tequila and Simply Limeade.
- Stir ingredients
- Add club soda to desired taste
- Lime wedge for garnish and to squeeze if desired
Notes
If you try this cocktail and have any other ideas for the infusion let me know in the comments below! Cheers!
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