Kuzcotopia

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Cocktail History

The Kuzcotopia is a Disney cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, for a contest hosted by Liber & Co. The recipe takes inspiration from The Emperor’s New Groove, an animated movie set in South America, which is why it calls for the Brazilian spirit Pisco as the drink’s base. It then pairs it with a few other ingredients native to the continent, including fruit juices and chili pepper, and it adds a bit of Aperol for a deliciously bitter bite and a hint of color to shift its hue closer to that of Kuzco’s vacation home. 

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Pisco: This is a type of brandy made in South America with fermented grapes and yeast, which are distilled to develop a clean, fruity flavor.

Aperol: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a blend of bitter orange, rhubarb, herbs, and roots, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bright, bittersweet flavor.

Passion Fruit Syrup: This is a sweetener made with passion fruit pulp, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a tropical, fruity flavor.

Grapefruit Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe grapefruits that has a sweet-tart citrus flavor and light pink color.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Hot Pepper Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with peppers, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop a spicy, slightly bitter flavor.

Lime Slice: This is a slice of lime that has been cut into a half wheel shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used one from the Viski Gunmetal Cocktail Pick Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Vibrant red-orange color

• Aroma: Fruit and citrus

• Taste: Explosive passion fruit flavor that evolves into grapefruit, funky Pisco, and Aperol’s slight bitterness

• Finish: More sweet fruit and a hint of chili spice

Kendall’s Take: “Usually a Disney-themed cocktail contest is most likely to result in pretty kitschy recipes, but this drink honestly is so, so, so tasty. The passion fruit syrup mixed with fresh citrus and Pisco make for a great trio. Add in the tongue-tingling heat from the chili pepper bitters, and it becomes *chef’s kiss* I could see the Kuzcotopia on a bar menu somewhere in South America for sure, with locals and tourists alike sucking down one after another.”

Recipe