Vampiro (cocktail)

The vampiro is a cocktail that includes fruit juice, spices, fruit soda, fresh lime juice, and tequila. The vampiro has a fruity, lightly carbonated, and spicy taste.

The vampiro can be made with Mexican sangrita, a prepared drink mixer containing orange juice and chili peppers. One recipe lists the ingredients as tequila, limes, kosher salt, Squirt brand citrus-flavoured soda and Viuda de Sanchez, an orange juice-based Mexican sangrita beverage. Viuda de Sanchez is sold in Mexico and in areas of the southern US with large Latino populations. If Viuda de Sanchez is not available, good quality fresh-squeezed orange juice, lime juice and spicy pico de gallo seasoning can be used as a substitute.

The vampiro is popular in Mexico and is the national drink. Mexicans named the cocktail vampiro ("vampire") because the Viuda de Sanchez juice mixer's red colour is reminiscent of blood.

Preparation

Vampiros may be made in a tall glass or an old fashioned glass. Bartenders may first "rim" the glass with kosher salt, which is done by placing a layer of kosher salt on a chopping board, moistening the glass' rim with lime juice or water, and then placing the upside down glass rim onto the kosher salt, so that the salt sticks to the moistened rim.