Holidays with the Mix Masters

What are the area’s top mixologists whipping up this holiday season? We asked a few of them to share their secret recipes.

By: Mark Spivak - December 22, 2020

Nightmare Before Christmas

Armando Conway, Calaveras Cantina and Voodoo Bayou

Ingredients:

1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice

¾ oz. organic agave nectar
1 charcoal pill

1 ½ oz. Ghost pepper-infused tequila

½ oz. cinnamon-infused whiskey

Hibiscus-infused sugar and edible rose Petals for garnish

Preparation:

In a small shaker, squeeze fresh lime juice, then add organic agave nectar into the shaker (Tres Agaves used here). Open charcoal pill and add the powder into the shaker, then add tequila and whiskey. Mix all ingredients, add ice, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a hibiscus sugar–rimmed double old fashioned glass, over a large ice cube. Garnish with edible rose.

About Armando: A native of Mexico City, Armando Conway earned a law degree in his home country before moving to the United States and deciding to focus on a different kind of bar. He worked as beverage manager in high-profile venues such as Hakkasan in Beverly Hills and The Cocktail Collective at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. In 2019, he made his way to Florida and is currently beverage director in charge of designing the bar programs at both Calaveras Cantina and Voodoo Bayou. “I love cooking and making cocktails—they’re very similar,” he says. “And I also love talking to people. I’d hate to be stuck at a desk or behind a computer all day.”

Calaveras Cantina, 125 Dockside Circle, Jupiter; calaverascantina.com; 561.320.9661; Voodoo Bayou, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave. # 5095, Palm Beach Gardens; voodoobayou.com; 561.888.6703