Tequila is an underrated foundation for a cocktail, and its rich botanicals pair well with St-Germain‘s sweet floral flavors. So here’s a cocktail we whipped up that combines the two into a drink that’s crisp, a little bitter, delicately floral, and perfect for this very brief (but glorious) spring we’re having in DC. – Andrew

Illustration by Caitlin Keegan for Oh So Beautiful Paper

The Maximilian Restoration

1 1/2 oz Tequila
1 oz St-Germain
1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1 Dash Chocolate Mole Bitters

Combine the tequila, St-Germain, vermouth, juice, and bitters and shake well with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy!

Make sure the tequila is either an añejo or a really smooth reposado. A younger blanco tequila risks overwhelming the more subtle flavors of the drink with a major punch of vegetal agave. Don’t overdo the bitters or the grapefruit juice, or the drink will end up a little too bitter.

 

We named this cocktail in tribute to another great cocktail, the Maximilian Affair, which combines tequila’s smokey cousin mezcal with St-Germain, bitter-sweet vermouth, and lemon juice. (Sounds like something we should feature on here too…) Our version is a little lighter and more delicate on the botanicals, but I think both are pretty great.

The name? Well, the Maximilian Affair is named for the French attempt to install Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian von Habsburg as emperor of Mexico in the 1860s (the same conflict that we mark on Cinco de Mayo). Mexico and France, tequila or mezcal and St-Germain, you get the idea. It wasn’t a very good time for Mexico, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the Habsburg dynasty, so enjoy a Maximilian Restoration on one of these gorgeous spring days, while they last!

Photo Credits: Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

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