As Co-Founder and Beverage Director of Adiõs, José Medina Camacho manages day-to-day operations and leads menu curation of the establishment’s unique listing of classic cocktails crafted with Mexican-made-and-grown spirits and ingredients.
Photos by Adiõs
José looks forward to welcoming guests from all walks of life into Birmingham’s newest cocktail bar, which he conceptualized alongside business partner Jesús Méndez.
José, born in Mexico, immigrated to the US with his mother in 1993. They settled in Los Angeles but moved to Tupelo, MS in 1994 to help open a family restaurant. He discovered a unique talent in teaching and learning, connecting with others through beverage conferences and working with charitable organizations like Jones Valley Teaching Farm and Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice.
With beverage management experience at Little Donkey, Octane, and The Marble Ring, José joined Automatic Seafood & Oysters in 2019. As their Lead Bartender, he focused in on small producers and fresh wines to complement the cuisine. To this day, he continues to drive Adiõs’ beverage menu, showcasing Latino heritage and culture to the larger Alabama community.
Check out more from our interview with José below, as well as his award-winning cocktail recipe!
Talk to us about this award-winning cocktail.
For And On Mondays We…I wanted to create something that we could potentially serve at Adiõs. Within the cocktail, I also wanted to use the byproduct from making our Tepache.
What inspired the cocktail—ingredients/name etc.
The cocktail itself was inspired by the Tepache we make in house and the Harvest Roots Kombucha, Cosmos, which has hints of pineapple, citra, mosaic and galaxy hops. For the name, I just wanted something catchy—sometimes on Mondays you want a cocktail but not with alcohol, so the name leaves a little mystery if it has booze or not.
Talk to us about the ingredients used.
I wanted to use ingredients that worked well with Monday Mezcal – the zero-alcohol mezcal – so I decided on fermented pineapple, chamoy, Tajin, honey, lime, and then of course Harvest Roots Cosmos Kombucha (who hosted the event).
What should a bartender know about creating award-winning cocktails.
When it comes to making N/A cocktails I like to always make sure they are complex in flavors, just like you would with a regular cocktail. Personally, I think creating that depth is key.
Give bartenders 3-4 tips to creating exceptional cocktails.
Think about salt, fat, and acid when creating cocktails, much like cooking. Drink it right when it’s been created and then let it sit for 10 min, then see how much it’s changed… you may need to tweak it a little. Always think about the garnish and how it’s served, people love a pretty cocktail.
And On Mondays We…
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Monday Mezcal
- .75 oz. pineapple-honey-cosmos syrup
- .75 oz. lime juice
- 2 dashes of saline
Preparation: Served Up with a Chamoy and Tajin rim
The post Behind The Cocktail: José Medina Camacho’s Non-Alcoholic Margarita! appeared first on Chilled Magazine.
Source: Mixology News
