At Good Neighbor Bar in Altadena, California, bar director Jesus Gomez showcases his deep affection for traditional cocktails. The in depth menu even features a complete part for egg white–laced drinks just like the Apple Blow Fizz, Spanish Monk, Astor Lodge Particular and the Prado.
The latter drink, whose title means “meadow” or “subject” in Spanish, has murky origins, however seems to have first been printed within the large 1977 compendium Jones’ Full Barguide. With its mixture of tequila, lime, maraschino and egg white, it may very well be categorized as a Tequila Daisy or Margarita variation whereby maraschino takes the place of orange liqueur. However its addition of egg white takes the drink in a very totally different textural course.
Gomez first discovered the cocktail in an expansive assortment of basic recipes at his earlier bar, The Raymond 1886 in Pasadena; the recipe there turned out to be similar to the one within the Jones e book. He tried it as written—a fairly commonplace egg white bitter construction, with maraschino performing as the one sweetener—and located it almost excellent. His one main change: Although the unique recipe requires half an egg white, Gomez ups the fluffiness with a complete one.
With the construct set, Gomez turned to choosing the substances. For citrusy tequila drinks, he reaches for Gran Clásico, a Highland expression from Jalisco that’s “just a little bit sweeter, like recent agave,” he says, a welcome addition to the Prado, which is on the dry finish of the spectrum. Likewise, for the maraschino, Gomez selected Maraska for its fruity profile and its larger sugar content material, which brings steadiness to the drink.
Within the canon of egg white cocktails, tequila-based recipes have barely made a dent. That is partially on account of the truth that lots of the most well-known egg white drinks originated within the pre-Prohibition interval, when agave spirits have been deeply underrepresented within the American mixological canon. At the moment’s drinkers who love tequila not often get the pleasure of experiencing a misplaced basic like this. Maybe that’s the important thing to the Prado’s enchantment.
However at Good Neighbor, there’s additionally one thing in regards to the Prado that makes it virtually tailored for Los Angeles. The drink’s naturally dry high quality—akin to a Hemingway Daiquiri—makes it a straightforward promote in a low-sugar city like Los Angeles, the place Gomez says company are sometimes asking, “Would you thoughts simply bringing down the sugar just a little bit extra?” For these prospects, the Prado is a cocktail he encourages ordering as-is.
For the reason that bar opened final fall, the Prado has persistently landed within the high three hottest cocktails—on a menu of greater than 30 drinks—week over week. Gomez says that it lives as much as its title: The Prado is like strolling by means of a lush meadow. “Should you’re in search of one thing that’s gonna be mild, fluffy and barely grassy,” he says, “that is the drink for you.”
