By Pamela Morgan

Have you ever had a drink at a bar and desperately wished you could make it at home? I do all the time! The good news is that restaurant-quality drinks are not something you can’t make at home. I’ve learned that most bartenders are fabulously helpful in telling you exactly what goes into their cocktails. Better yet, sometimes they will even show you how to make them! This was certainly the case with Carlo from The Regency Bar & Grill. I live in the area and always love stopping in the The Regency now that it’s been completely redesigned. Besides the fact that it’s a gorgeous space, the bar is now always fun and lively.  I came in hoping to try a cocktail I could riff on at home, and Carlo pointed me in the right direction.

While most tequila sunrises call for sugary grenadine, he swaps it out for fresh pomegranate juice. What a difference! Just a little creativity goes a long way in improving this classic drink. His creativity got my imagination going. Instead of orange, what if I used mango?! I couldn’t just stop there–how about making it spicy? Spicy margaritas are everywhere these days. And so, the Flirting with Flavors Mango-rita was born! Watch my video to see how it all came together–from my adventure at the Regency Bar & Grill to my cocktail experimentation at home!

Carlo’s Tequila Sunrise

Servings 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz. silver tequila
• 2 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup
• 3/4 oz. pomegranate juice
• Orange slice, for garnish

Instructions

• Shake all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain and pour over a glass of crushed ice. Garnish with a slice of orange and enjoy!

Flirting with Flavors Mangorita

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 cup water
• Juice of three limes
• 8 oz. silver tequila (2 per drink)
• Thinly sliced serrano, for garnish

Instructions

• In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine honey, water, and serrano. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until syrupy. Let cool.
• In a blender, combine honey syrup (with serranos), mango, 1/2 cup water, and lime juice. Blend until completely smooth.
• For each drink, add 1/4 the mango mixture and 2 oz tequila to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled margarita glass. May double this to shake two drinks at a time.
• Garnish with serrano slices and enjoy!

Cookbook author and entertaining expert, Pamela Morgan is the owner of NYC based Flirting with Flavors, where she offers exclusive cooking parties, inspirational seminars and special events. She is highly regarded as a special event planner, culinary consultant, cookbook author, and is a food & entertaining editor for Hamptons’s Cottages and Gardens.   Pamela sees food as a flirtation: sexy, provocative, and a little mysterious. Her desire is to teach you how to flirt your way into a full on passion for cooking and entertaining! Visit her web site for recipes, entertaining inspiration and much more.