Although the origins of the infamous tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur concoction are vast and clouded in legend, the margarita’s allure is irresistible. Wherever the drink arrives, a good time is likely to follow. Now the Mexican daisy will be blooming amidst the bustle of Nashville’s iconic Upper Broadway district.
Following an epic transcendent architectural and epicurean experience opened at the Nashville hotspot The Twelve Thirty Club in 2021, prolific restaurant innovator Sam Fox is now preparing to bring his very first bar concept to the Music City. Named after the Spanish word for ‘margarita,’ Pushing Daisies will open as an “underground” margarita bar debuting later in 2022.
Bound to shake up the Music City cocktail scene, The Manual has got the inside scoop on some of the best Pushing Daisies cocktails. Before the restaurant welcomes the public, let’s take a look at what Aubrey Mansene, beverage director for Fox Restaurant Concepts, will be serving up.
Mansene told The Manual that Pushing Daisies would feature agave-based classic cocktails along with “innovative styles of margaritas.”
“We don’t like to be limited by definitions, which is what makes this part of the process so exciting and fun,” Mansene said in an email.
This might mean spicing things up with a signature Pushing Daisies cocktail like El Sancho, whose ingredients are still being tweaked by the cocktail bar’s alchemists. Imbibers going for a subtly sweet, piquant beverage might want to try Poncho’s Bliss, a blend of clarified coconut milk punch, dragonfruit tea, and reposado tequila. Guests of a more luxurious bent might want to try the lavish Carajillo with espresso-soaked vanilla liqueur added to spiced cold brew — a sure upgrade to the espresso martini.
“We are constantly pushing the boundaries and always striving to educate our guests on why using fresh ingredients and quality spirits is the key to a great drink,” Mansene said.
In that vein, let’s see what Pushing Daisies offers The Manual readers to shake up.
Sunkissed Caballera
A Sunkissed Caballera might be a nice, tropical way to begin the evening.
Ingredients
- 0.75 ounces fresh lime
- 0.25 ounces agave
- 0.25 ounces Giffard Noix de Coconut
- 0.75 ounces Naranja Agria
- 1.5 ounces Altos Reposado Tequila
- 2 dashes housemade citrus bitters
Method
- Place all ingredients into a shaker with ice.
- Shake very hard.
- Double strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with a dehydrated lime wheel.
Picosita Skinny
The Picosita Skinny adds an herbal essence to the smoky distillation, bringing together blanco tequila and agave with pressed cucumber and mint, with a touch of habanero bitters for spark.
Ingredients
- 3 slices fresh cucumber
- 4 to 6 mint leaves
- 0.75 ounces fresh lime juice
- 0.5 ounces jalapeno cucumber agave
- 1.5 ounces Ana Maria Rosa Tequila
Method
- Prepare glass w/ chile con salt rim.
- Add cucumbers, mint leaves and lime juice to mixing tin.
- Muddle ingredients thoroughly.
- Add remaining ingredients to mixing tin and shake vigorously.
- Double strain over fresh ice.
Garnish with a fresh lime wheel and 2 jalapenos.
Spearmint, I Know
Ingredients
- 0.75 ounces fresh lime juice
- 0.75 ounces ginger-infused agave
- 0.25 ounces yellow Chartreuse
- 0.5 ounces Charoe Aloe Vera
- 1.5 ounces Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
Method
- Shake Vigorously
- Double strain into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with a skewered lime wheel, mint sprig, 3 dashes Peychauds bitters.
Playa Bonita
For a post-meal digestif, the Playa Bonita sounds is a sweet way to wrap a night out.
Ingredients
- 0.75 ounces fresh lime juice
- 0.75 ounces cinnamon syrup
- 1 ounce fluffy pineapple
- 1.5 ounces Jose Cuervo Tradicional
Method
- Shake vigorously.
- Strain over crushed ice.
- Garnish with layered pomegranate chia seeds and an orchid
Pushing Daisies, of course, doesn’t require that your distilled agave be mixed with anything. Whether neat or over ice, the upscale lounge will serve up several high-end tequilas. This includes Gran Patrón Burdeos, an over $500 luxury añejo tequila aged in oak, and finished in vintage Bordeaux wine barrels, and Komos Cristalino ultra luxury Añejo. The more varied mezcal will also be featured from small batch labels like El Jolgorio Mezcal, which represents sixteen different families farming ten different Oaxacan regions, and the sweetly-spiced Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo from Master Distiller German Gonzalez.
Before you get the chance to visit the exciting new Upper Broadway Fox development later this year, see if you can create the same high-end experience at home or for a home run addition to a get-together.
