Living La Vida

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

Cocktail History

The Living La Vida is a modern cocktail that was created in 2019 by Mimi Burnham at Bar Celona in New York City, New York. The recipe starts with an agave base of both mezcal and tequila, mixes in herbal Amaro Montenegro as well as lemon juice and saffron syrup for sweetness, and tops it all off with bitter tonic water.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Tonic Water: This is a carbonated beverage made with water quinine, and added minerals, which are infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a fizzy, bitter flavor.

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with fermented agave and yeast, which are distilled after roasting agave hearts in underground pits to develop a smoky, complex flavor.

Amaro Montenegro: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a blend of herbs, spices, citrus peels, and botanicals, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bittersweet, aromatic flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Saffron Syrup: This is a sweetener made with saffron threads, gum arabic powder, and white sugar, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a delicate, honeyed flavor.

Tequila Blanco: This is a type of tequila made in Mexico with fermented blue agave and yeast, which are distilled and then left unaged to develop a bright, agave-forward flavor.

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

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Fentimens Sparkling Tonic Water
• 🔗 Creyente Mezcal Joven
• 🔗 Amaro Montenegro
• 🔗 Casamigos Tequila Blanco

Bartending Tools

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

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Highball Glass: This is a tall, slim glass that’s used for serving mixed drinks made with a larger proportion of non-alcoholic mixers.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Riedel Drink Specific Highball Glass

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright yellow hue with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Lemon and mezcal

• Taste: Refreshingly bitter quinine flavor mixed with mezcal’s earthiness, amaro’s herbal notes, and a touch of florals

• Finish: Lingering bitterness from the tonic and amaro

Kendall’s Take: “I’m not one for bitter drinks as is yet, and I did not expect this one to be quite as bitter as it was when I first sipped it. Mezcal is already a tough swallow for me, and I found it to be very prominent in this recipe even with the tonic water. Usually, it’s sweetened with the other ingredients in the drink, but the Living La Vida only kept getting more and more bitter. This admittedly wasn’t my favorite, but if you like bitter beverages, it might do the trick for you.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson.