Couple of times in the past week I've had to rise to the defense of Campari from those who would use it as a "mixer" for tequila. Noooooo! Barkeep, keep your hands off the Campari except for Negronis. Tequila and Campari are natural enemies. They do not play well together. And cinnamon tequila is the worst offender of all, stabbing the erudite Count Negroni through the heart.
(Note: mixologists can and do blend what they want, owners can serve and charge what they want, and patrons are free to order and pay for what they want. It's a free country and a free market.) But, ugh. Why would you ruin perfectly good Campari (or perfectly good tequila, for that matter) by shaking it up with something that only muddies and muddles the essential characteristics & flavors of the spirit you so carefully selected in the first place?
Do I hate tequila? No, quite the contrary. I'm not a yoooj fan, but sipping a fine tequila is not a chore. Ideally, as at Chavez (above), accompanied by a shot of sangrita.
Sangrita, whose origin dates back to the 1920s, is a customary partner to a shot of straight tequila blanco; a non-alcoholic accompaniment that highlights tequila's crisp acidity and cleanses the palate between each peppery sip.
What the hell, the day is shot anyway.
Chavez, 1734 12th Ave., Seattle
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