Blood Brother
A spicy tequila drink with a dramatic red-wine layer, giving tart lime and warm cinnamon a dark, fruity swirl.
Ingredients
- Blanco tequila60 ml
- Red wine, dry, full-bodied red winefloat on top
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Cinnamon syrup30 ml
- Orange bitters2 dashes
- Lime, for garnish (optional)1 wheel
Method
- Fill a shaker tin with ice cubes.
- Add the tequila, cinnamon syrup, lime juice and orange bitters.
- Shake hard for about 10 seconds, until well chilled.
- Fill a highball glass with crushed ice and strain the drink into it.
- Hold a bar spoon, back facing upwards, just over the drink and slowly pour the red wine over it, so it forms a distinct layer on top.
- Garnish with a thin lime wheel if you wish, and serve at once.
About this drink
Blood Brother is a modern creation from the American cocktail scene, where tequila meets cinnamon syrup and a red-wine float — a technique borrowed from classics such as the New York Sour. The wine is poured carefully over the back of a bar spoon, forming a dark, dramatic layer atop the paler drink. The result is equal parts visual trick and flavour contrast: fresh acidity and agave below, tannin and fruit above.
Questions and answers
How do you make the red wine sit as a layer on top?
Pour it slowly over the back of a bar spoon just above the drink’s surface, so it settles into a distinct red layer rather than mixing in. Pour it directly into the glass and the effect disappears completely.
Which red wine works in a Blood Brother?
A full-bodied, fruity red such as Malbec or Zinfandel gives the greatest contrast to tequila’s sharpness. A light, acidic red is swallowed by the other flavours and does little for the drink.
