I was a finalist last year and am excited for another chance to represent the US in the global finals. It’s a once-in-a-life experience to make lifelong connections and represent a family-owned brand.

Cocktail Inspiration

To salute Licor 43's country of origin, Spain, I made Nelly Cortado, a cortado-inspired cocktail. A cortado is a coffee drink composed of equal parts espresso and milk. I chose an espresso-based cold brew concentrate and oat milk to balance out the sweet, herbal, and aromatic flavor profile of Licor 43. From there, I incorporated black walnut bitters and orange bitters as final seasonings to the recipe. The black walnut bitters contribute rich and nutty aromatics and warming spices that round out the sweet palate of mature fruit and vanilla flavor in the Licor 43. Finally, the orange bitters bring out the Mediterranean citrus and floral notes from the Licor 43. For the cocktail name, I chose Nelly Cortado as a playful reference to singer Nelly Furtado, who is of Portuguese descent and Portugal is another country that claims the cortado drink. Cheers!

Ingredients

• 30 Ml. Licor 43 Original
• 45 Ml. Cold Brew
• 45 Ml. Oat Milk
• 4 Dashes Black Walnut Bitters
• 4 Dashes Orange Bitters
• 5 Ml. AquaFaba

Method

Cocktail Preparation

• Add ice to a Nick and Nora glass and set aside to chill.
• Combine all ingredients into cocktail shaker.
• Dry shake for 30 seconds.
• Add ice and shake for 15 seconds.
• Empty ice out of Nick and Nora glass and spray or rinse with orange bitters.
• Double strain cocktail mixture into Nick and Nora glass.
• Garnish with three espresso beans and one more spray of orange bitters.

Coffee Preparation

• Combine 6oz (175g) coarsely ground espresso beans with 24oz (700mL) in a vessel.
• Place vessel in fridge for 24 hours.
• Filter out the ground espresso beans and compost them.
• Store cold brewed espresso concentrate in the fridge until ready to serve.