La Banderita was the drink that welcomed us to Mexico City, courtesy of Melissa Aladro from the St. Regis Hotel. She graciously invited us for pre-dinner cocktails at what would be our home away from home.
While discussing local landmarks, history and culture at the King Cole Bar we sipped La Banderita, or “The Little Flag”. This traditional way of enjoying tequila or mezcal mirrors the tri-color of the Mexican flag, with its green, white, and red symbolizing the country’s vibrant heritage.
Three shot glasses, the first with fresh lime juice, the second with Union mezcal, and the third with St. Regis sangrita were set before us. We then proceeded to toast our arrival and sip from left to right, repeating the process until the three glasses were empty. Tempting as it was to have a second, it was time to depart for dinner.
Before leaving, I was able to coax the sangrita recipe from the bartender. Well, not the exact recipe, but he yielded the ingredient list and a starting point. With a little experimentation and the assistance of my fellow traveler’s taste buds, I believe we arrived at a near perfect duplicate. It is an extremely delicious style of bloody mary mix and with the recipe you may enjoy as many of these as you wish in the comfort of your own home. Print
La Banderita
Lime, Mezcal and Mexican Bloody Mary mix shooters
Ingredients
St. Regis Sangrita
- 12 oz tomato juice
- 3 oz orange juice with pulp
- 3 oz Crosse and Blackwell Salsa Tipa Inglesia
- 3/4 oz Maggi Jugo Sazonador seasoning sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt – to taste
- 1/4 oz grenadine
- 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
- 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
- 1 dash agave nectar