DELIVERY AVAILABLE Box and mattress VALLEY-WIDE Lalo Cota’s margarita art at Barrio Cafe. Bunk-Bed-Frame with mattress 2pc sectional 5pc dinette PHOENIX MARGARITAS FOUR PERFECT 4pc bedroom set 5 drawer chest CALL FOR PRICING mon-THU: 9AM - 7PM fri: 9AM - 7PM sat: 9AM - 6PM sun: 10AM - 5PM 3330 w Van Buren St • Phoenix • 602-272-0034 (NE Corner of 35th Ave & Van Buren) *prices are subject 22 WESTSIDEFURNITURE.COM CHEST Premier Cru margarita at CRUjiente Tacos 3961 East Camelback Road 602-687-7777 My favorite margarita that I’ve tried from CRUjiente (and I haven’t tried all of the riffs) is the plain old classic. Jason Morris mixes a margarita that considers each el- ement of the equation. Key touches in- clude judicious (AKA minimal) use of a sweetener made from part agave syrup, part simple syrup, and the decision to muddle orange. The orange imparts its oils and fragrance to the drink while in- troducing little sourness on top of the lime’s sourness, layering two citruses in a way that makes both better. Haloed with a thin rim of salt, this is a well-consid- ered, well-executed marg that during happy hour will have a lifespan of about 5 minutes. Lowrider margarita at Barrio Cafe 2814 North 16th Street #1205 602-636-0240 At a tiny, intimate bar decked out with agave spirits, Silvana Salcido Esparza’s crew shakes the platonic ideal of a Cadil- lac margarita, meaning a version of the classic with heady tequila and orange li- queur (Don Julio Blanco and Cointreau). This cocktail has no decorations. It’s all old school. A key choice is the use of simple rather than agave syrup, which gives the tequila, lime, and hint of per- fumy orange more stage to shine, uned- ited by other flavors. This marg is simply a great take on a stone-cold classic ver- sion of the cocktail — what you dream of when you dream of a margarita. Hatch chili margarita at Valentine 4130 North 7th Avenue 602-612-2961 Served in a stemmed glass cowboy boot, rimmed with a powdering of spices that includes garlic and pepper, this margar- ita is the rare progressive version that at- tempts a near-total reboot of the classic and succeeds. For one, there is no te- quila. Rather, Hatch-chile-infused vodka and mezcal form a split-spirit base. In a standard margarita, the tequila occupies a more central position, its essence exist- ing somewhat apart from the other in- gredients. But here, spirits serve to underscore the smoky, vegetal, and com- plex citrusy nature of this unlikely cock- tail. “We’re just pounding the same drum over and over again with this drink,” co-owner Blaise Faber says. Bacanorita at Bacanora 1301 Northwest Grand Avenue, Unit 1 602-612-4018 A margarita at a restaurant called Ba- canora spotlighting bacanora might as well include some bacanora, hence Adrian Galindo’s “bacanorita.” Galindo splits the drink’s base, cutting a grassy bacanora with blanco tequila and keep- ing the remaining ingredients classic: triple sec, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. It’s deeply lush with a bit more rusticity than your average marg. Much of its goodness comes from its pleasantly aggressive rim, a circus-like but sensible dusting of sugar, citrus rind, and bright red flecks of the wild Sonoran chile known as chiltepin. —CHRIS MALLOY Lynn Trimble SEPT 9TH – SEPT 15TH, 2021 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
