Yxta Cocina Mexicana is a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles that features extremely tasty and authentic Mexican fare.
The food is reason enough to visit but we were also impressed by their tequila bar. It’s small, but packed with some really great tequilas. A restaurant or bar doesn’t have to stock 300 different tequilas to be good – in fact, we really enjoy a smaller, carefully chosen selection – as long as the person behind the bar knows a thing or two about what they’re serving.
Now, you know that we like to drink our tequila straight, but we have to admit that Yxta’s tequila cocktails are pretty damn good too.
One in particular stood out, and it turns out that it’s one of their bestsellers. The Jamaica Margarita, which uses the hibiscus-infused Gran Centenario Rosangel tequila, was so good that we asked for the recipe. It offers a nice balance between tart and sweet, and its fresh flavors makes it is easy to drink.
I went back a few days later, brought my camera, and Berenice showed us how it’s done.
Jamaica Margarita Recipe
(from Yxta Cocina Mexicana in Los Angeles)
Ingredients
– Gran Centenario Rosangel tequila
– House-made jamaica juice (water, hibiscus, sugar)
– House-made sweet and sour (lime, lemon, orange, simple syrup, and some egg whites for froth)
– Triple sec
– Lime wedges
Directions
1.) Fill a glass with ice
2.) Add 1 1/2 ounces of Rosangel tequila
3.) Add a splash of Triplesec
4.) Squeeze 1 lime wedge into the glass
5.) Add the sweet and sour mixture to the glass (2 1/2 ounces)
6.) Add the jamaica juice to the glass (2 1/2 ounces)
7.) Add to a cocktail shaker and shake!
8.) Return to the glass and serve
If you try this recipe, we’d love to hear your thoughts. How did you like it? Post your comments below!
Thanks Grover, it sounds awesome! I wish we had more details and ingredients proportions regarding the Jamaica juice and the house mixture. Although I guess they must be kind of the house secret ingredients…
Yeah, I agree with you! I asked, but Jesse (the owner) told me, with a smile, “that’s a secret.” Grrr. That bastard! :-)
Go figure!!!
Since you know how it’s supposed to taste, you could try to experiment with Monin Hibiscus syrup and let us know. Sort of like you did with sangrita.
I just use the Jamaica/Hibiscus syrup from the local Super Mercado. It is concentrated sweetened Hibiscus syrup (aka: Jamaica syrup). The homemade version in this video looks lighter – probably diluted more than the store-bought syrup.
I add just a bit of the syrup to puro margaritas, which I guess would not make them ‘puro’ any more???