Firing up the Grill? Try Charring Your Cocktail Components

If you’ve ever ordered a vodka cocktail, you’ve probably had Tito’s vodka. But chances are you’ve normally enjoyed the spirit mixed with a simple soda or basic juice. Luckily for all of us who need to brush up on our home bartending skills, Tito’s has put out a new book, Spirit in a Bottle: Tales and Drinks from Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Their mission is to help you craft more fun, creative cocktails using fairly common household ingredients and tools. Your grill, for instance.

According to the book, this smoked peach mule recipe gets an extraordinary amount of flavor from heat alone: “When you sear a juicy peach on the grill, you’re not only caramelizing its natural sugars, but the char alters the fruit’s flavor, making it smoky and savory.” Which sounds like the perfect way to add depth to an otherwise sweet and sour Moscow mule.

“The ginger brings the heat, the lime checks the box for citrus, and in one sip you have a perfectly balanced combination of core flavor profiles: Sweet, savory, spicy, and acidic,” the book continues. And hey, you can leave the grill on and make a quick and delicious dinner after without moving too far.

Smoked Peach Mule Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 peach, halved and pitted
• 1¾ ounces Tito’s Handmade Vodka
• 1 lime, halved
• 3 ounces ginger beer 

Instructions

1. Fire up the grill. (If you don’t have a grill, use a cast-iron skillet or any frying pan over high heat.)
2. Start by searing your peach and lime halves, flesh side down. Once they’ve got a nice char, remove and cut the peach halves into thin slices.
3. Place two peach slices and one lime half into a Tito’s Copper Mug and muddle.
4. Add ice, the Tito’s, and ginger beer. Stir and garnish with a grilled peach slice. 

Excerpted from Spirit in a Bottle: Tales and Drinks from Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Copyright Tito’s Handmade Vodka.