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MyZo

MyZo

3.9 10 ratings

Ingredients

inch red chili pepper
1 2/3 oz Vanilla vodka
5/6 oz Elderflower cordial
5/6 oz Lemon juice

How to make

Serve in a coupe glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

Method

  1. 3 MUDDLE chili in base of shaker.
  2. 4 Add other ingredients and SHAKE with ice.
  3. 5 FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. 6 EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour profile

History

Rich vanilla and sweet elderflower balanced by zesty lemon, enlivened by chilli.

Myles Cunliffe, a bartender at Brownes Bar and Restaurant in Brighton, England, created this recipe in 2004. The cocktail earned Myles Cunliffe third place in the Stolichnaya sponsored UKBG Cocktail Challenge, held on 13th June 2004 at London's Sosho Match bar. Like many cocktails, even prize-winning ones, the MyZo was soon forgotten. It wasn't until years later, when another similar cocktail, the Spicy Fifty, created by Salvatore Calabrese, was featured on websites and in books, that Myles was reminded of his win. The similarity in ingredients to the Spicy Fifty prompted Myles to recall his victory as a young bartender, and he remembered Salvatore presenting him with his winning cheque (pictured here with Dale DeGroff). Myles recounts, "In 2003 I had been familiar with vanilla vodka and elderflower having played around with that combo for a while, it took a messy chilli filled Sunday afternoon whereby I was trying chilli in everything and this combo worked. Originally it was a long drink (just add soda). I found the Stoli comp on the UKBG website and decided to enter. I submitted the drink and then forgot about it until I received an email from them asking to amend the recipe as it was a short drink recipe (read the comp rules is key to comps) so I removed the soda and resubmitted. This followed with an additional email inviting me to Sosho for the heats. Then the rest shall we say is history. The name however was supposed to be half Myles half Zoe as in MyZo however at the comp I was asked for the inspiration behind the drink (my girlfriend) and the name of my girlfriend (Zoe) and everyone assumed I had named it after her.... (still dining out on that one)." This story has a happy ending as the MyZo is now recognised on this website and in a letter from Salvatore Damiano, President of the UKBG. The letter states, "The United Kingdom Bartenders Guild confirms that the MyZo cocktail by M. Cunliffe has been archived in the UKBG national database." The official recipe is confirmed as follows: "MyZo 50 ml Stolichnaya vanilla Vodka, 25 ml fresh lemon juice, 25 ml elderflower cordial 1 cm piece red chilli shake hard over ice and double strain into chilled cocktail glass"

Created by Myles Cunliffe