Meaning "Left Handed Hummingbird," Huitzilopochtli was a god of the South American natives of Tenochtitlan, which was the capital of the Aztec Empire (Wikipedia "Huitzilopochtli"). The god performed many miraculous deeds, and was most known for his relationship with the sun, and helping to grow various vegetable and plant life (Ibid). One of the most famous events surround this god is when he commanded the Aztecs to build their city over the heart of his son, which he had cast into the middle of lake Texcoco, and they would discover where this was to exactly be built when they found an eagle perched on a = cactus, eating a serpent; this imagery is actually on the flag of Mexico (Ibid).
Throughout various art, Huitzilopochtli is represented as a hummingbird, but is likewise representative of the sun and vegetation which is a product of his energy. Because of his relationship with plant matter, I decided to use some fruit, as well as mint for a garnish, something which seems quite appropriate for this mythical overseer. Furthermore, the garnish makes the drink look as if it is some sort of plant, and the red hue gives it the imagery of being some sort of pseudo and butchered hibiscus. However, the use of Hum is obvious since the liqueur is represented by a Hummingbird. After trying Hum with various spirits, I went to use tequila with this one, thanks to the variation on a Tequila Mockingbird that Steve Garcia from Mesa created, in which he used Hum as an ingredient to vary the flavor. The use of chocolate bitters is a throw back to the Aztecs, who used to drink and imbibe chocolate as a standard beverage. Plus, tequila, which is made from distilled blue agave, is a sort of syncretism between the Old and the New World.
Tequila, as I spoke about during the Margarita article, is a product of the blue agave plant. Historically, the Aztecs made a fermented beverage from agave, which was known as octli; it wasn't until the arrival of the Spanish, that Tequila as a distilled spirit was introduced and created near the city of Tequila, which would be established formally in 1656 (Wikipedia "Tequila"). The Spaniards were used to drinking brandy, which is a distilled spirit made from grapes, and so they began to distill the fermented octli, turning it into a spirit, and specifically the first distilled spirit manufactured in the New World (Ibid). As such, the drink, and plant, which was utilized by the Aztecs, was taken and modified, turned into a whole new form, by the interaction and activities of the Europeans. Interestingly, the European conquistadors, who sought mostly wealth, did provide quite a bit of cultural syncretism, not just with shared ideas, such as Tequila, but also through the spread of religion and other cultural ideas; while most would be a one sided conversation, Tequila seems to be an interesting exception that proves to be more similar to a dialogue, between native and colonizer, than any of the other cases.
I've pointed out previously that Tequila absorbs, much like many other spirits or beverages, the flavors of the geographical region in which it was produced (Ibid). As such, I'm using a lowlands Tequila for this beverage, because I feel that an earthy flavor would contrast better against Hums floral and sweet notes, and provide an interesting contrast with the lime juice. Furthermore, it blends well with the chocolate flavors of the bitters, and the spicy notes of the Hum liqueur, making them more subdued, rather than being at the forefront of everything you consume.
With this drink, I used chocolate bitters: not only does this make this drink a true cocktail in the fashion of historical conceptions of cocktails, but also, it pairs extremely well with the earthy notes of the Tequila. The chocolate goes really nicely with the organic Reposado which I chose to use, since it has a slight smokey flavor, which draws nicely out the subtle flavors of the chocolate and the slight spiciness found in the bitters, giving the spice a niche in which to find itself. The bitters do not dominate, but are present on the palate; if using more than a couple dashes, one might find that the flavor will overwhelm everything else in the cocktail.
Lastly, Hum liqueur: a proprietary liqueur that has only recently been released. The liqueur, named after a Hummingbird, is a gorgeous red, and delicious: it is not overly sweet, 35% alcohol by volume, and has lots of spices to bring out interesting flavors. The primary ingredients are ginger, hibiscus, cardamom and kaffir lime, all of which work marvelously together: the liqueur has a sharp, tart flavor that works well with lime juice, while having that harsh, yet mellow, flavor of cardamom and ginger. The hibiscus gives it slight floral notes, and the stunning appearance. The base spirit, that was infused with various other ingredients, was an organic rum. Truly an exceptional ingredient, I've been toying with Hum, and experimentally mixing it not only with tequila, but also rum, gin, and even ginger beer, since the liqueur can fortify the ginger flavor and provide some extra depth and spiciness.
This drink does pair really well with spicy foods, since the cardamom of the Hum, as well as the ginger and the chocolate, each come out really well alongside dishes with heat or other elements. The drink works really well with tapas, because the strong flavors should contrast, yet combine with well prepared and thought out tapas.
Huitzilopochtli:-----
1 1/2 ounces Reposado tequila
3/4 ounce Hum liqueur
3/4 ounce lime juice
1 to 2 dashes chocolate bitters (Xocolatl Mole)
Combine ingredients in a shaker, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. For garnish, take a thin slice of lime, and a sprig of mint, and after slapping the mint to extract the aroma, place the mint stem through the center of the lime. Either float this on top of the drink, or balance upon the glass.
Wikipedia contributors. "Huitzilopochtli." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huitzilopochtli (accessed May 1, 2010).
--. "Tequila." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tequila (accessed March 31, 2010).
Wondrich, David. 2007. Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar. New York: Penguin Group.
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