La Llarona Recipe
Reposado, ancho reyes liqueur, Cointreau, lemon & lime juice, ginger syrup, fire bitters
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Frequently paired with
The best thing to pair and share with La Llarona
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Cocktail
Garnish & Finish
Ginger Syrup (makes ~8 oz)
Method
Ginger Syrup (make ahead)
Prepare syrup
Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar fully dissolves and mixture just comes to a simmer.
Add the sliced fresh ginger to the simmering syrup. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes to infuse. Taste for ginger intensity — longer for stronger flavor.
Remove from heat and let the ginger steep in the syrup until cool (20–30 minutes) for more flavor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract liquid. Discard solids and transfer syrup to a sealed container. Refrigerate. Yields about 8 oz; use 0.5 oz per cocktail.
Cocktail Assembly
Chill: If desired, chill a coupe or rocks glass by filling with ice or placing in freezer for a few minutes.
Add to shaker: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in 2 oz reposado tequila, 0.75 oz Ancho Reyes, 0.5 oz Cointreau, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.5 oz ginger syrup.
Add bitters: Add 3 dashes of fire (spicy) bitters to the shaker.
Shake: Secure the shaker and shake vigorously for about 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is well chilled and slightly frosty.
Prepare glass: Discard ice from the chilled glass. Optionally, run a lime wheel around the rim and dip the rim very lightly into smoked or flamed chili flakes for a faint smoky-spicy rim (optional; use sparingly).
Double strain: Double strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or a rocks glass filled with fresh ice using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer to remove small ice shards and any pulp.
Garnish: Thread a piece of candied ginger onto a cocktail pick and rest on the rim or float a lime wheel. If desired, add a tiny pinch of smoked/flamed chili flake on top of the drink for aroma.
Serve: Present immediately. Encourage the drinker to sniff the candied ginger and citrus before sipping to appreciate the layered spice, citrus, and sweet-heat flavors.