Margherita

At Michelin-starred Don Angie in New York, Italian-American chefs Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli infuse Italian flavors into their cocktails, which is how the aptly named Margherita was born. Dreamt up by Bryan Schneider, creative director for Quality Branded, who at the time of the restaurant’s opening in 2017 oversaw beverage programming across the Quality Branded portfolio, the cocktail is inspired by Finocchietto fennel liqueur from Don Ciccio & Figli, a small distillery in Washington, DC specializing in Italian-inspired spirits. Thinking the subtle anise flavor would pair nicely with a reposado tequila, Schneider added the fennel liqueur to the recipe and swapped out orange liqueur for Calabrian chili-infused honey syrup. “Fennel and blood oranges are both common ingredients in southern Italian and Sicilian cuisine, and since Angie has Sicilian roots, I knew it would be a great fit for the restaurant,” he says.

Schneider recommends orange blossom honey for the syrup, since it nods to the orange liqueur in the traditional margarita recipe and pairs nicely with the blood orange juice in this version. If you can’t find Calabrian chilies, any dried chili with a medium to medium-hot spice level will do, but avoid anything smoked, like a dried chipotle, or something smoldering like habanero. “We do an infusion to save time behind the bar, but you can add things à la minute by throwing dried chilies or even a slice of jalapeño in a shaker while making the cocktail,” he says.

The honey and Finocchietto add a nice silkiness to the drink, and the shaking adds a bit of effervescence. Chill the glass before shaking and pouring the cocktail, and add the blood orange juice at the end so it sinks down and creates a Tequila Sunrise effect in the glass. “The subtlety of the ingredients is important,” he says. “This is why you don’t want an overwhelming spice from the chilies — you want to showcase the tequila and Finocchietto.” — Lane Nieset