This unique, Australian take on the classic Margarita, comes from Jack Connor at Rosella's on the Gold Coast.
“We use Beudi Margi Spirit as a base with fresh lime juice,” says Connor. “Always and only fresh lime juice please and thank you in advance — gosh your'e a top human if you do this. I will actually come over to you, wherever you are, and shake your hand. Shake for 7.5 seconds and single strained to get those beudiful refreshing chards of ice to sit on top. For when you take those first sips, a little bit to crack into those ice particles, is just heavenly. Even god thinks so, he’s seen it first-hand. I actually took a trip up there via JetStar, I know talk about slumming it to heaven, but JetStar does return tickets to heaven, it’s a pretty good deal. Sorry back to the drink. We then add an ungodly (me again, sorry for the god talk) amount of salsa verde oil, which is just a fancy term for green oil. We introduce some quick heat into a neutral based oil with too much coriander, jalapeno, tomatillo, sherry vinegar and a crack of fresh pepper for good measure. We then add some green tree ants into the oil droplets that sit upon the drink to add a bright zesty lemon/coriander pop of flavour. Don’t worry they aren’t the nasty green ants you find on the grass fields that absolutely sting ya for all ya worth.
“Overall this drink is to pay homage to the bright, zesty and a little bit spicy landscape that Australia has to offer. There is so much depth to this drink with all the different mouth feels and texture, you’ll be wondering why you don’t go outside more often.”
Green Tree Ant Margi
- 60ml Beudi Margi Spirit
- 30ml lime juice
Shake and single strain into coupe. 8 Drops of Green Tree Ant Salsa Verde on top. Express lemon oils over the top.
Beudi Margi Spirit
Beudi Margi Spirit consists of 2/3rds Beudi Blanco and 1/3rd Sunrise Lime Liqueur.
Beudi Blanco
A blend of Blue Weber Mexican agave and Australian agave, water, nutrient and then is fermented with carefully selected yeasts and a bacteria that kick starts a malolactic fermentation. This is fermented till dry or a gravity around 1.000. Distilled twice with utmost precision to find beautiful flavours of vanilla, pear, jalepeno, earthy undertones and native grass. Rested in stainless for a month then bottled.
Sunrise Lime Liqueur
Sunrise limes from Bush To Bowl (A full indegignous organistion/farm) are cut into small pieces to increase surface area and added into a tank with 88.6% neatral base spirit, along with; passionfruit, casowary coast vanilla and strawberry gum leaf.
This rests in tank for 2 weeks, then ingredients are pulled from tank.
The ingredients go into a 500L wine drum, then sugar is layered over them to start a 2 week oleo sachrum. We then trasnfer the flavoured sugar into a a big kettle to then add water. Heat till it is liquid consistency.
Back blend sugar water and macerate till 28% alcohol. Rest for four weeks. Filter and bottle with blanco.
Green Tree Ant Salsa Verde
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp lime juice
2 cups coriander
4 jalepenos
½ roasted tomatilos
Salt and pepper
Cook on high heat for 5 mins
Blend and strain through coffee filter,
Add 100 grams green tree ants bottle.
