PARTNER CONTENT WITH
THE PATRÓN DIARIES
Bartender Michael Aredes Mixes Joy, Spice, and Authenticity In the“Look-At-Me” Margarita
words by JONAH FLICKER
photography by JEFF BROWN
According to Marcio Ramos, a bartender at one of New York City’s bustling cocktail hotspots, choosing the right base spirit for your cocktail is an essential step that should never be overlooked.
“The base spirit is super important because the quality shines,” he says. “If my name is attached to something, I want the best possible outcome. For that, I always choose a premium spirit.” For his latest cocktail creation, his spirit of choice is PATRÓN Tequila Añejo, a tequila that he believes elevates every aspect of the drink.
Ramos spent his early days off the coast of Africa on the Cape Verde Islands, immigrating to Bridgeport, Connecticut with his mother and brother when he was just four years old. As an adult he moved to Harlem and he has called the neighborhood home for 16 years now, soaking up all the culture and flavors that New York City has to offer. He has held jobs in the hospitality industry for decades, working his way up from dishwasher to sous chef to bartender. Nowadays, he works full time as a mixologist, bar consultant, and partner at a buzzing New York City bar.
THE INGREDIENTS OF MARCIO's "VINTAGED JAM"
Dried apricots
BUilding blocks are essential
For Ramos, PATRÓN Añejo was the obvious choice to use as the base spirit in his Vintaged Jam cocktail. “It was a no brainer,” he says.
TRIAL AND ERROR
Ramos came up with the idea for his Vintaged Jam cocktail after experimenting with red wine syrup and jam, two of the key ingredients that made it into the drink. “I wanted a thicker viscosity when I originally made the cocktail, and thought adding a jam would help with that,” he says.
Tasting the Difference
Ramos describes the drink as having a mellow and fruity profile, with a touch of peppery dark fruit from the red wine syrup and sweetness from the jam. The cocktail is rounded out with fresh lime, lemon juice, and agave syrup and garnished with a lime zest salt rim and dried apricot. The result is a zesty and complex concoction that allows the character of PATRÓN Añejo to shine through.
Ensuring that the base spirit is not overtaken by the other components in the drink was important to Ramos’s process, and he firmly believes PATRÓN was the right choice for that. “I think additive-free spirits make a huge difference,” he says. “At the end of the day, what you like is what you like, but I can taste the difference.” The quality and authenticity that PATRÓN brings to any cocktail were important to him, and he recognizes the brand’s significance to the tequila category overall. “If you are drinking something from a region you are not familiar with, you want to experience it the way it was intended," he says.
That certainly holds true for PATRÓN, a tequila that proves you don’t need additives when you honor the process and stay true to tradition.
THE “VINTAGED JAM” Recipe
Ingredients
2 ounces PATRÓN Añejo
½ ounce lime juice
½ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce red wine syrup
½ ounce agave syrup
1 Bar spoon apricot Jam
Garnish: lime zest salt rim & dried apricot
Directions
Add all ingredients to a shaker.
Shake.
Double strain into a rocks glass with a lime zest salt rim.
Garnish with a dried apricot.
Lemon and lime juice
PATRÓN Añejo
Lime zest salt rim
Apricot jam
Hover over the circles to see what makes up this delicious cocktail.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PATRóN AÑEJO
Ramos spent his early days off the coast of Africa on the Cape Verde Islands, immigrating to Bridgeport, Connecticut with his mother and brother when he was just four years old. As an adult he moved to Harlem and he has called the neighborhood home for 16 years now, soaking up all the culture and flavors that New York City has to offer. He has held jobs in the hospitality industry for decades, working his way up from dishwasher to sous chef to bartender. Nowadays, he works full time as a mixologist, bar consultant, and partner at a buzzing New York City bar.
“I know there are a lot of options when it comes to tequila, but PATRÓN has been the standard in my community.
It’s a spirit that has stood the test of time and has been a symbol of a whole category since before I could even drink.” PATRÓN stands out among other brands as a leader in premium additive-free tequila. Legally, tequila producers are permitted to add up to one percent by volume of certain additives including sweetener, glycerin, wood extract, and caramel coloring which can alter the spirit’s flavor, mouthfeel, and color. But PATRÓN is firmly focused on transparency, using just three ingredients to make its tequila — 100% Weber Blue Agave, yeast, and water.
“That’s the beauty of creating a drink that people can really be impressed by and enjoy,” he says. “I try the same drink 20 times, and each time I change something — different citrus, different syrups, ice, shaken, throwing, stirring (if applicable), trying different expressions (Blanco, Reposado, Añejo), and even playing with the proportions. It takes time, like all great things.”
Ultimately, Ramos decided to use PATRÓN Añejo in his Vintaged Jam drink. He believes that this particular expression, which is aged for a full year in white oak barrels, really stands out because of its woody spice notes and orange and toffee flavors. “After trying a few different jams, I landed with apricot, and it worked really well with PATRÓN Añejo,” he says. “I tried it with the Silver and the Reposado as well, but I thought the best choice was the Añejo.”
It can be a long and drawn out process, but Ramos is focused and meticulous about the details of his cocktail creations, never settling for something easy or subpar.
Agave syrup
Red wine syrup
Hover over the circles to see what makes up this delicious cocktail.