Celery Margarita

While most cocktail drinkers relegate celery to being just a garnish for their Bloody Mary, this take on the Margarita proves that the leafy stalk is so much more. Made with a celery shrub—a tangy syrup that combines fresh pressed celery juice with sugar and rice vinegar—this cocktail is bursting with vibrant acidity and vegetal flavors. With blanco tequila at the base and fresh pineapple and lime juice in the mix, it has a zesty backbone and bright, tropical undertones. Sipped as an aperitif before a big meal, it awakens your appetite. And it is the perfect accompaniment to spicy foods—especially any Mexican dish with pastor, slow-cooked pork with pineapple.

When it comes to picking a blanco tequila, opt for something higher proof with lots of vegetal notes, such as Astral Tequila or Herradura Blanco. Or, if you really want to mix things up, try Derrumbes Zacatecas, which is neither a mezcal nor a tequila, and is made like tequilas were made hundreds of years ago. If you can, use fresh pineapple juice instead of canned, as it will make the drink even brighter and boost the tartness of the rice vinegar in the celery shrub.