40ISHº North Margarita

Because of its Mexican origins, tequila is most often used in cocktails with citrus and tropical fruits. We wanted to shake things up a bit and show the versatility of ISH Mexican Agave Spirit, which is made in chilly Copenhagen. This zero-proof cocktail is a distinctly northern twist on the berry margarita, using flavors found 40º or more above the equator (hence the name).

Rather than orange juice or triple sec, we used Wilderton Lustre, a bitter orange and herbal non-alcoholic botanical spirit made in the Pacific Northwest. Pucker inducing, but deliciously floral, gooseberries yield a beautiful, fuchsia color, and we reduced the amount of lime juice to account for their sourness. If you can't find gooseberries, you can substitute blackberries or any other tart berry.

Tasting Notes: tart green grapes; lemon, lime, and bitter orange; fresh agave cactus; a slightly floral, tropical note reminiscent of pineapple or passion fruit

• 2 ounces ISH Mexican Agave Spirit

• ¾ ounce Wilderton Lustre

• ½ ounce simple syrup (like Liber & Co. Classic Gum Syrup)

• ¼ ounce lime juice

• ¼ cup fresh gooseberries, stems and tails removed

1. Pour all ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth, except for some dark red specks of gooseberry skin.

2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a chilled coupe glass. (Optional: salt the rim of the coupe glass first.)

3. Serve immediately.