Dead Man’s Handle

We’re suckers for any cocktail that melds tequila and orgeat; it’s a killer combination. Tiffany Kirk at Miss Carousel in Houston manages to improve on perfection, adding Aperol (a mildly-bitter sweet citrus apéritif) to the mix and dusting the whole thing with a garnish of chile salt in her Dead Man’s Handle.

The chile salt garnish is optional, but it adds a dimension of flavor that we heartily recommend. Kirk uses Tajín, a chile-lime-salt blend that you can find in the Mexican or international food section of most grocery stores – or you can whip up your own by stirring a bit of chile powder into some kosher salt. If you go that route, be sure to use chile powder that’s just ground chiles, not the seasoned mix you might use to make a pot of chili con carne.